Falling To Pieces
by The Thorned Rose
Summary: Mokuba disappears, and Kaiba's world starts to fall apart. He falls into a state of depression and his company begins to fail. Eventually, he loses everything except a tiny house his biological father built in the country. Suddenly he becomes an outcast to the world. Can an already hidden soul help him find his own? Or, will he push her away like everyone else?
1. Chapter 1

SUMMARY  
Mokuba disappears, and Kaiba's world starts to fall apart. He falls into a state of depression and his company begins to fail. Eventually, he loses everything except a tiny house his biological father built in the country. Suddenly he becomes an outcast to the world. Can an already hidden soul help him find his own? Or, will he push her away like everyone else?

CHAPTER 1

Six months…Six months I have been looking, without even the smallest clue of where he went. My head is spinning with questions. Is he dead or alive? Is he hurt? Will I ever find him? If I do will he be the same?

My secretary came in with the financial statements. She being a rational woman said, "Mr. Kaiba, it is in my professional opinion that you shut down Kaiba Corp. If you don't, you will lose everything. Hasn't losing your mansion been enough? Don't lose the only shelter you have left." I sighed in defeat. There was no use. I signed the papers to finalize it and handed it back to her. She looked on sadly and replied, "It has been a pleasure working for you Mr. Kaiba. I hope you find your brother and your happiness."

I waved her off and took my official last limo ride to my biological father's home. It was a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom home with lots of land, meant for farming and cattle raising. A few animals currently lived there, I used to have a farmhand taking care of the place. I now silently wondered if this would be my new future. I ran my fingers through my hair and thought to myself, 'Well at least it will be peaceful without all the reporters following me."

Tea Gardener picked up a discarded newspaper off of a table, while spending time with her friends at the burger joint. The front page read, "Kaiba Corp Declares Bankruptcy!" As if reading her thoughts, Yugi said, "Isn't it sad. He fought every day to get to the top in life and seemed to lose everything that meant anything to him overnight."

Tea nodded but was startled when someone ripped the newspaper from her hand. Joey scoffed, "good for old Money Bags, maybe if he would have cared more, Mokuba wouldn't have disappeared."

"JOEY!" Tea scolded, "You know as well as I do, Kaiba would give up his own life if it meant to protect Mokuba. He has proven that on several occasions. DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT KAIBA DIDN'T LOVE THAT CHILD!" The group stared at her with wide eyes and she continued in a much softer tone, "Chances are, the reason he lost everything was he was putting all of his resources he had into finding Mokuba. What would you do, if the same thing were to happen to Serenity?"

Joey became quiet and then nodded. With a look of defeat he replied, "I would likely do the same."

Tristan then said, "It is just hard to look at him in a different light after all the things he has done. That is all Joey meant. He didn't mean that he wanted it to happen to him."

Tea answered, "I realize that, but Joey should really think about what he says. No one deserves to go through what Kaiba is going through now."

…

A few days later, Tea decided to drive down to Kaiba's new home to check up on him. Despite her past attempts, the two were never even close to being friends. However, she still felt like it was her duty to lookout for him. Especially at a time like this…

She pulled into the driveway and knocked on the door. When no one answered, she was about to head back home until she heard a loud, MOOOOOO coming from the barn. The distressed cow sound peaked her curiosity and made her walk to the barn.

She saw Kaiba sitting on a stool by a cow fuming. "Is there a problem?" she asked curiously.

He turned around and saw Tea set her purse down and walk up to the cow. She started to pet the cow gently. "What are you doing here?" He asked irritably.

"I initially came here to see how you were doing, but now I can see that you're taking your frustrations out on this poor cow." She said as she knelt next to him, "You need to warm your hands before you milk a cow. The more comfortable the cow is, the more milk she will produce." She started to rub her hands together and show him the proper technique.

Kaiba stood up and rubbed fodder off his pants,"How do you know how to do this?" he asked.

"When I was a child, my mom and dad used to have a summer home. It had a barn with different animals in it. I liked to play with the animals, so I learned how to care for them. I could help you if you would like." She looked up and saw he wasn't looking at her. He was staring out the barn window and seemed to be contemplating what she had just said.

He certainly needed the help, but he didn't want her to think he was ignorant. Lord knows the whole world deemed him 'a waste of space,' since he lost the company. But, if he didn't accept, he was uncertain if he would be able to learn how to run this farm on his own. He asked, "You do realize I can't compensate you for your trouble?"

She smiled and answered, "You do realize I didn't ask to be compensated? I simply want to help." She wiped her hands off on a towel and handed it to Kaiba to do the same. She then handed Kaiba the pail of milk and said, "Come on, I am going to show you how to pasteurize this before you accidentally make yourself sick."

Kaiba frowned, but followed her out the barn to the house. As they walked towards the house, Tea smelled something funny. She stopped and sniffed the air… "Kaiba, are you cooking something?" she inquired.

His eyes grew wide and he dropped the milk pail spilling its contents. He then ran as fast as he could to the house. She quickly followed after him and watched him open the oven door. Black smoke rose up engulfing the room. Kaiba used the fire extinguisher to put out the fire that had once been dinner. Tea started to open the windows to let the smoke escape the home.

"What did you do?" she asked, as she used a notebook to fan the fire alarm that was screeching like a banshee.

"I tried to make a TV dinner. I must have left it in the oven for too long or something," he answered irritably. Suddenly she stopped fanning the alarm and started to giggle. He looked over to her incredulously and asked, "What?"

She then dug the box to the dinner out of the garbage and turned it over to read it. She then explained, "TV dinners haven't been cooked in the oven since the 1950s. The instructions said to heat it in the microwave-oven which is not the same thing as a stove top convection oven."

He pulled the now thoroughly melted TV dinner out of the oven and frowned when he saw the mess it had made. He ran his hand through his hair and let out huff. He was certain she thought he was an imbecile now.

Although he didn't outwardly show it, Tea sensed his embarrassment and disappointment. She bit her lip, suddenly feeling guilty about laughing. "I will be right back," she said as she walked out the front door, "Don't try to cook anything else while I am gone."

He crossed his arms and grunted in response. She smiled and drove off.

Uncertain of what to do now, he started to scrape the melted plastic off of the bottom of the oven. He started to think back to his 15th birthday, he had come home from work and found Mokuba crying. Worried, he asked, 'Mokuba, what's wrong?' Mokuba lifted a cake pan with a charcoal black cake inside the pan. Kaiba realized Mokuba tried to make him a cake for his birthday. He smiled down at the small boy and ruffled his hair, 'it's okay Mokuba. Why don't we go down to the bakery and you can pick a cake out for me instead.' Mokuba smiled weakly and nodded. They made a day out of his mistake.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Tea yelled, "I am back." He saw her walking in with 2 boxes of Chinese takeout. "I hope you like Beef with Broccoli," she said as she placed the food on the table, "We can work on teaching you the basics of cooking tomorrow." She looked up at him and saw that he wasn't moving, he just watched her silently looking mildly confused. "I am not going to bite you, you know? Come eat," she said as she sat at the table. She flipped open one of the boxes and grabbed a pair of chopsticks to find he was still staring at her. She took a bite of food and in a most unladylike manner asked, "What?"

He asked, "Why are you doing this?"

She raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "Doing what, eating?"

He shook his head, "No, why are you helping me?"

She shrugged her shoulders and replied, "We may not always have been on the best terms Kaiba, but I always considered you a friend. Even if you never see me as a friend, I do this because this is what friends do."

He was silent, but he did go over to the table and join her. He didn't say much, but he did listen to Gardener as she talked about school.

After dinner, she agreed to come over, after school tomorrow to help him learn how to cook. As her car pulled out the driveway, he noticed how quiet and empty feeling the house became. He shut the door and wondered where Mokuba was now. Was he safe? Was he hungry? Was he even alive? The feelings of dread and worry resurfaced, leading to another restless night.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all my reviewers, I had 5 reviews in the first 5 hours! That is incredible to me and I truly appreciate it!

….

Mokuba sat in his cell for the past several months, while Marik took pleasure in watching Seto's life fall to pieces. The rare hunters made sure that Mokuba saw everything that happened to his older brother. So he knew Seto used all of his money in hopes of finding him. This lead the youngest Kaiba to feel immense guilt. But today, he saw some glimmer of hope for his eldest brother. When he saw Tea helping his older brother today, he thought 'Even if I don't make it, there will still be someone there to spend time with him. If something does happen to me, Tea's presence might help him move on with his life.'

However, Mokuba wasn't the only one who saw this. Marik said to one of his rare hunters, "Keep an eye on her. We wouldn't want Mr. Kaiba to get too comfortable with her?" The rare hunter nodded and motioned to other rare hunters to leave the room.

Mokuba spoke up and asked, "Why are you doing this? What did Seto ever do to you?"

Marik was angry, "What did he do to me? He gave Yugi the one card that could defeat me in Battle City, Fiend Sanctuary. If it weren't for him, Yugi's puzzle would have been mine!" With that Marik stormed out of the cell. Mokuba let out a defeated sigh, would he ever get out of here?

….

Kaiba sat underneath a tree at lunch that day. Not having business reports to type up, he didn't know what to do with himself. He looked around and saw Yugi, Tea, Joey and Tristan gathered around a picnic table. He watched them play duel monsters and goof off with each other. He smiled slightly, thinking about the few times he tried to teach Mokuba how to play Duel Monsters. Mokuba never seemed to show an interest in the game, but he was always supportive when Kaiba played.

Although the memory was good, it pained Kaiba to think about Mokuba. He picked up his books and walked to the library.

Tea noticed Kaiba heading towards the library and became concerned. "I gotta run to the ladies room, guys," she said as she walked towards the direction Kaiba just went.

Yugi ran after her and yelled out, "But Tea, the bathroom is…" he noticed Kaiba walking several yards ahead and whispered, "That way…" He then shrugged his shoulders and walked back to the table with Joey and Tristan.

"What was that about?" Tristan asked.

…..

Tea found Kaiba sitting in the back of the library. He was on a red couch, reading by the fire. Tea looked over his shoulder to see what he was reading. Sensing someone's presence he turned his head and saw her looking at him. He shut his book and irritably asked, "What do you want?"

"It's nice to see you too Kaiba. What are you reading?" she asked as she flipped the book over to see its cover. She smiled and said, "I didn't know you were into mystery novels." He looked at her blankly and she frowned. Giving up on talking to him about the book she asked, "Is there anything in particular you want to learn how to cook this afternoon." She saw his mouth twitch and knew there was an answer somewhere in there. "Come on, spit it out!" she said as she sat next to him on the couch.

He scratched the back of his head feeling mildly embarrassed, "Pancakes."

She started to laugh and asked, "For dinner?" He nodded and she shrugged her shoulders, "Well I have been known to eat tacos for breakfast so who am I to judge."

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch and they headed for class.

….

Tea had to stay after school for basketball practice so when Kaiba got home, he headed towards the garage of the house. There was an old, busted up, light brown truck sitting in the garage in desperate need of repairs. If he could save up enough money from selling his farm products at the farmers market, he might just be able to bring the truck back to working condition. He searched through an old tool box and used a jack to crawl underneath the truck.

After about an hour of toying with the truck he discovered more problems than he had overall, it still looked fixable.

A voice called out, "Kaiba? Where are you?"

"I'm in the garage," he called back as he started to slide from underneath the car. Tea walked in and he was wiping the motor oil off his hands, "Go clean up while I gather the ingredients," she said.

She dug through his cabinets to find the pancake mix and was mildly surprised on how very little food was in the house. There was boxes of easy mac (which he couldn't cook anyway because he didn't have a microwave), protein bars, tv dinners, fish sticks, coffee, and a single box of pancake batter. 'What the hell does this boy eat,' she thought to herself.

He walked into the kitchen and she handed him the pancake batter and talked him through the process. His first pancake didn't look too good because he had the fire on too high. However, after his third he was a pro!

They sat down together and to her surprise he started to talk to her, "What is your family like?"

She smiled, maybe he was starting to feel comfortable around her. She started, "Well it is just my mom, dad, and me. My mother is a librarian and my father is a preacher. I have always been close to my mother, Selena Gardener. However, my father and I never seemed to see eye to eye."

"Why is that?" he asked. As crazy as it felt, Kaiba was curious about her life. It was ALMOST as if he started to enjoy her company…Almost.

"Well, there are 2 types of preachers in this world, the type that says you should love god, and they type that says you should fear him. My father, Ralph Gardener, has always said that me being friends with Yugi and the guys sinful. He swears up and down that I am going to become a whore. He also acts as if everyone who makes even the tiniest of mistake is going to burn in hell. I just never felt like I could ever live up to his expectations, so I stopped trying," she explained.

Kaiba nodded in understanding. No matter how hard he tried to meet Gozaburo's expectations, he always ended up overworked and disappointed.

Tea looked at her watch and saw that it would be getting dark soon. She stood up and said, "I need to get going. I have work tomorrow, so I won't be able to make it over. I am off Saturday though, so I want to take you grocery shopping," she started to giggle and continued, "I looked through your cabinets, and it is obvious that you don't have a clue."

Despite her mild insult, he smirked. He tried to go grocery shopping for the first time last week and he had no idea how to pick out a week's worth of groceries. He ended up just buying things that looked easy to deal with.

…

"Mom, Dad, I am home," she called out as she tossed her keys in the bowl onside of the coffee table.

"Where were you?" her father asked with a sour expression on his face.

She rolled her eyes and said, "I just took a trip to Sodom and Gomorrah to get my nipples pierced, wanna see?"

He smacked her across the face and asked, "You visited those boys again, didn't you?"

She rubbed her now sore cheek and said, "Just one, he needs help getting settled in his new home."

"You will need help getting settled in a new home if you keep gallivanting with these boys. Remember that Tea, I refused to have you disgrace this family," He said in a serious tone.

Annoyed she asked, "Can I go do my homework now or are you going to continue to harass me?" Without waiting for an answer she picked up her book bag and went up the staircase to her bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Kaiba spent his weekend at the library, sending his resume to as many gaming and technology companies as he could. He knew it wouldn't be any use however. All the companies were afraid he would work his way up and try to take over their companies. Not that he could blame them; he hasn't always been known for his sparkling personality.

On the walk home, Kaiba noticed a local restaurant called Burger World. He remembered Mokuba had always pestered him to go there. Right now he would give anything to bring Mokuba there. He unconsciously walked closer to the restaurant and through the glass windows, saw a familiar brunette in a waitress uniform. He didn't want her to see him so he took a turn and headed back towards his home.

He started thinking to himself, 'If I can't get one of the big corporations to hire me on, maybe I can find a local job around here. It won't pay nearly as much, but at the moment he was simply worried about providing the necessities for living.

…

The next day, Kaiba heard a knock on his door around about 8:00 in the morning. He opened the door and found Tea. However, she started to turn a bright red. He looked at her confused and quickly realized he was only wearing a pair of dark blue boxer shorts. Turning a slight tinge of pink himself, he quickly slammed the door and went to grab a pair of pants and a T-shirt. Once he was dressed, he walked back outside and asked, "What are you doing here?"

She was still blushing madly but replied, "I am here to bring you grocery shopping, remember. I even brought my car so we wouldn't have to carry the groceries all the way back to the farm."

He remembered them talking about it, but he hadn't expected her to be here this early in the morning. "Why so early," he asked, "The chickens aren't even up yet."

She raised her hands up defensively and said, "Hey, if you want to battle a grocery store after church lets out, on Sunday that is fine by me. But you won't see me within a hundred yards of one of things. It is way too busy."

With that, he grabbed his wallet and locked the front door, following her out to the car. On the drive there he asked, "Didn't you say your father is a preacher? I would have thought you would have been at church with him."

She gave a weak smile and replied, "Nah, my dad used to make me go to church; but, being the wild flower in the family, he kind of gave up on me. He doesn't pester me to come anymore, because he claims I am nothing but an embarrassment."

Kaiba didn't say anything, but that statement didn't sit well with him. He knew better than anyone else how it felt for his family to give up on him. After his parents died, the relatives that took them in frittered their money away. Once the money was gone he and Mokuba were dumped off at an orphanage without a second thought.

They pulled up to the store as she was exiting the car, she said, "Well, the good news is since you have cows and chickens, we won't need milk and eggs. You do know how to tell if an egg has been fertilized or not right?" He shook his head no and grabbed a cart. "Well then, we are just going to have to teach you, won't we," she concluded with a smile.

They walked through the aisles and Tea pointed out different products that would make good but inexpensive meals. Most of these foods he had never tried in his life so he was skeptical about it. She then picked up a pack of Ramen Noodles and said, "This is the cheapest and easiest meal to prepare and you can do a lot with it."

He picked up the package and looked at it, "The noodles look like plastic."

Tea started to laugh and said, "Welcome to the world of minimum wage."

….

The next day at school, Kaiba was sitting in his class room before class started. He noticed Tea walk past the door. She was headed to her locker which was just a few yards away from the class. "Hey Serenity!" she called out as she met up with mutt's sister. Kaiba sat quietly, he really didn't care too much about anything to do with Serenity.

"You're here extra early today," Tea stated.

Serenity smiled and replied, "Yeah, I wanted to ask you something about Kaiba?"

When Kaiba heard his name, his ears perked up and he listened in.

Tea rolled and replied, "I know, you are madly in love with him and you want to know if he is available."

Serenity started to giggle and said, "No, actually I am over him. I was actually wondering why you were hanging around Kaiba so much?"

Tea looked up surprised, ever since she could remember Serenity has had the biggest crush on Kaiba, "Really," she asked, "Why the sudden change?"

Serenity shrugged her shoulders and said, "He's cute and all, but he is all washed up. He frittered his money away and now he is a nobody."

Tea was appalled by her words and said, "Serenity, he is 17. He has his whole life to figure out what he wants to do with his future. He may have lost the company, but now he has a chance to find his passion. No one just starts out at their dream job. They have to start from the bottom and work their way up to the top. I know Kaiba will succeed in anything he chooses, because he works harder than any other man I have ever known. He is also passionate about any project he gets involved in. As far as what I am doing around him, that is really none of your business. Now, if you will excuse me." She walked past Serenity and finished taking her books out of her locker. She then walked towards the girl's ladies room.

Kaiba was infuriated with what he had just heard, 'washed up….frittered his money away," he was about to give Serenity a piece of his mind when he saw Yugi and Joey approach her and ask, "What did you find out?"

Serenity shrugged and replied, "Not much. She didn't tell me why she was hanging out with Kaiba, nor did she tell me exactly what they were doing together….But, she sure chewed me out. Thanks a lot Joey!" She then marched off in a huff.

Joey tugged at his hair and said, "We gotta do somethin Yug, Kaiba is no good for Tea and you know it. He is just using her."

Kaiba stepped out from his hiding spot and asked in a venomous voice, "Using her for what exactly?"

Both Yugi and Joey jumped and turned to Kaiba's direction. Joey's attitude changed quickly from concern to anger as he said, "That is exactly what I was wonderin and you are gunna tell me. Ya got that Money bags."

Suddenly a voice called out, "Joseph Wheeler, if you have any questions pertaining to me, I would prefer it if you asked me directly, not Serenity." Joey turned around to find Tea standing there with her arms crossed. She walked forward and he knew he was in trouble, "Furthermore, what I choose to do in my spare time is none of your business."

Joey was backed into a locker and asked, "How did you know I asked Serenity about money bags and you?"

Tea smirked and replied, "I didn't. You just told me."

It took Joey a minute to realize what he had just said, but once he realized it he kicked the locker and screamed, "Dammit!"

Joey was about to leave when Kaiba interrupted, "Hey Wheeler."

Joseph turned around and asked, "What?"

Kaiba sneered and said, "I wouldn't recommend a life of crime."

Joey stormed off and Yugi stood there like a deer in head lights.

She then turned to Yugi and asked, "Are you ready for class?" She knew Yugi was also in on Joey's little scheme, but she figured he was just pressured into it. Kaiba was disgusted as he watched the two walk to class. He wasn't sure why, but seeing those two together felt weird now.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you everyone for the reviews! I am so happy when I find a new review. Gothic Girl, My father had colon cancer so I can relate. I wish your mother the best of luck in her battle. I am truly blessed to still have my father with me today.

….

Kaiba managed to finish his homework, work some on the car, and cook dinner before Tea made it there that evening. According to Tea, to check the chicken eggs, the barn needed to be dark. The best time to do this then was about 7:00 in the evening. She had a basketball game that evening so the timing on perfect.

Tea knocked on the door at 6:30 and he let her in. He figured she would be hungry after the game, so he had attempted (key word here being attempted) to make a box of macaroni and cheese. Everything had been fine until he went to add the cheese powder. He didn't realize should have turned off the stove top, so the noodles on the bottom of the pot burned.

Tea noticed the two plates and forks sitting beside the stove, she smiled and said, "Awwww, you cooked me dinner."

Kaiba was nervous, but he hid it well. He frowned and replied, "Don't flatter yourself Gardener. I made dinner, grabbing a plate for you was simply an afterthought."

Her smile faded and she looked down. "Thanks anyway," she said solemnly. Kaiba instantly regretted what he had just said, but it was too late. To try to repair the mistake, he fixed her a plate and carried it to her. She smiled, but it was much weaker than the smile she had originally.

They sat together and ate. It was silent, but not as awkward as it was the first time they ate together.

….

Mokuba sat in his cell, watching the hidden cameras the rare hunters set up in his brother's home. He knew his brother well and could see Seto was starting to trust Tea. This was a huge development, it was so rare Seto decided to trust anyone. Part of Mokuba wondered if Tea and Seto's acquaintanceship would ever become something more.

…

Inside the chicken house, it was pitch black. Tea dug in her purse and pulled out a piece of card board with a hole in it and a flash light. She then pulled Kaiba down to the ground for him to take a better look. She sat the egg in the cardboard hole and placed the flashlight underneath it. She smiled and said, "Oh great, we got a baby chick on the first try." She pointed to a part of the egg and said, "You can see how you can a spot with veins coming out. That is going to be a baby chick soon."

Kaiba was fascinated. She then picked up a second egg and it didn't have any sign of life. The only thing you could see was a single yolk. After going through several eggs, she found one really developed egg and held it to the light. She squealed "Oh look he is kicking! It should only be a few more day until this little hatchling comes." Despite the darkness, Kaiba could see her smiling like a Cheshire cat. He couldn't help but smirk at her enthusiasm.

Once they finished gathering the infertile eggs, they stepped out the barn and made their way towards the car. Tea suddenly heard Kaiba stop and turned around to see what's wrong. He was looking up at the sky. He appeared to be awestruck. Tea asked, "Kaiba, are you alright?"

He nodded and replied, "I am fine. I just haven't ever seen so many stars. With all the smog in the air from factories and cars, I never saw this in the city."

Tea walked back to him and said, "Yeah, isn't the country beautiful."

He looked down at her and explained, "My father used to say that every star is an ancestor looking down on us...I wish Mokuba was here to see this. He would have loved tonight."

Tea hugged his arm and replied, "Your father was a smart man. When we do find him, I promise you I will show him everything I showed you tonight."

Kaiba frowned and asked, "And if we don't find him, then what?"

Tea squeezed his hand and answered, "If we don't find him, then according to your father he is already with you and watching over you. He already knows."

Kaiba stated to feel himself lose grip of his emotions. Instead of letting that happen, he walked over to the car and opened the driver's side door for Tea. Tea took the action as a sign of respect, when in truth it was an attempt of escape. He shut the door and watched her drive down the road until the car lights vanished.

….

Marik watched the whole scene from outside Mokuba's cell. He slammed his hand on the wall in anger. She was starting to slowly piece Kaiba back together. He points to a rare hunter and says, "She has to be stopped! I want you to go out and give her a good scare. Let her know we are no one to be trifled with."

Mokuba panicked and tried with all his might to free himself from his chair, but only caused himself to fall over backwards in his chair.

….

Kaiba stepped inside and grabbed his chest. Ever since Mokuba went missing, he has been having anxiety issues. His doctor prescribed him medication to help. But every now and then, the feeling would become overwhelming. He took his night time dosage and went to bed.

….

Tea was almost home when she saw a truck coming down the road in the opposite direction. She wasn't alarmed until she saw the windows roll down and the men inside started throwing bricks. She tried her best to escape but while trying to avoid a brick, her car peeled out and she crashed into a tree.

The front window shattered everywhere. She sucked in a breath and silently prayed they wouldn't try to harm her further. Her prayer was answered and the trucked passed her. As the truck passed the driver yelled out the window, "DUEL DISK 66." She let out a sigh of relief and things started to go black.

….

Yugi was woken up from their sleep when the phone rang. "Hello," Yugi asked sleepily.

"Yugi dear, is Tea spending the night over there?" a woman asked.

Yugi recognized the voice as Tea's mother, Melinda Gardener. "No Miss Gardener…You mean she didn't come home last night," he asked.

She responded, "No she didn't Yugi. She said she was going to help one of her friends settle into his new home. She should have been home several hours ago! We are really worried."

Yugi got up and started to grab his keys, "Don't worry Miss Gardener, I am going to drive over to Kaiba's house now to see if he knows anything." He hung up the phone and ran out the door.

He then called Joey and Tristan to help search the streets. Yugi's first stop was Kaiba's farm. He banged on the front door frantically and came face to face with a severely pissed off Seto Kaiba.

"What?!" Kaiba yelled as he exited the front door, dressed in only his boxers. Yugi flinched and asked, "Kaiba is Tea still here?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow and asked, "If she was still here, do you really think I seriously think I would be dressed like this? She left 2 hours ago!"

Yugi turned red with embarrassment and replied, "Sorry to disturb you Kaiba. She never made it home and her parents were worried."

Kaiba let out a sigh and said, "Give me a second."

He threw on a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He then locked his home and got into the car to help Yugi search. They drove everywhere they could think of and without finding anything, they started to head towards the Gardener home.

That's when they saw it. The front of Tea's car was smashed against a large tree. Kaiba didn't even wait for the car to come to a complete stop before he jumped out. He ran up to the car and tried to open the door. The door was jammed, so he used all his strength to pull the door off of the hinges. He placed two fingers up against her carotid artery and was relieved to find she still had a pretty steady heartbeat. Yugi had called for an ambulance while Kaiba looked her over for any external damage. It was too dangerous to move her in this condition. She had a deep gash in her forehead although he was uncertain if it was from the glass or from hitting her head on the steering wheel. It was obvious the airbag was faulty. Further down, he could see some bruising on her arms and legs. One of her legs looked especially damaged.

He started to breathe heavy and his vision began to become blurry. He leaned up against the truck and tried to calm down. He was having another panic attack. He started to count backwards from ten and when he got down to one, the ambulance had arrived. He let out a sigh of relief and his vision returned to its normal state.


	5. Chapter 5

Yugi called his friends and Tea's parents. When Yugi and Kaiba had gotten to the hospital, they were surprised to find Joey and Tristan were already waiting by the ER. Tea's parents arrived about 5 minutes later and they were all ushered into a waiting room.

Kaiba looked Tea's parents over and could see the resemblance. Tea's father had her dark brown hair and blue eye color. He looked to have an entirely different personality however, his eyes looked to be filled with anger and hatred. Her mother had the same slim but athletic figure but other than that bared little resemblance. From the way she was calming Yugi's friends, he could tell she had a loving and caring personality like Tea.

The doctor came in and asked, "Are you Tea Gardener's parents?" Mr. and Mrs. Gardener stood up and nodded. The doctor then asked, "Can the people you brought with you be updated about her condition, or would you her information remain private?"

Tea's father screamed out, "These scum are the ones who got her in this condition. They shouldn't even be allowed to be in the hospital."

Joey stood up enraged, but Tea's mother grabbed his arm gently. She then turned to her husband and said, "Now Ralph, these are Tea's friends. Just because you don't like them, doesn't mean they are bad people. And you know they didn't have anything to do with her accident. Knowing Tea, she saw a dog in the middle of the road and swerved to avoid it."

Kaiba saw her holding Joey's arm talking about a dog, and forced himself to bite his lip, 'Not the time or the place,' he reminded himself.

She then confirmed to the doctor, "I will allow them to be in the room for her diagnosis." She then nudged Ralph and said, "My husband would also like to give his consent." Ralph crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

The doctor shivered and said, "Well, as I am sure you can tell, she is pretty banged up. Her left leg is broken and is being put in a cast. She has a large gash on her forehead from where her head hit the steering wheel. She is conscious right now, but scared and slightly disoriented. You may see her in a few minutes if you like.

Selena Gardener nodded and the doctor left the room. Yugi then spoke up, "Kaiba don't you find it odd that there were bricks all down the road she was found on."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed, truth be told he didn't notice. He was focused on making sure she was alive. He didn't bother investigate their surroundings. Kaiba shook his head and admitted, "I didn't look at my surroundings while trying to help her. But, it is odd. We need to find out what happened."

A nurse walked in and announced, "Ms. Gardener is ready to see you now."

They followed the nurse to room 32a and found Tea sitting with her leg elevated in the bed. There were bruises across her face, arms, and what they could see of Tea's other leg. Tea smiled when they entered, "You guys came," she said rather weakly.

Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Kaiba were the first to enter. She smiled even brighter when Kaiba walked in. Her mother and father then stepped in the room and Kaiba noticed fear flash before her eyes. He didn't know why but he definitely wanted to find out.

She then sat up slightly straighter and said, "Hey guys, would you mind giving my dad and me a moment to talk?" She didn't want him to make a scene in front of her friends.

They nodded and started to file out the room, all except for Kaiba. He wanted to know what happened and didn't trust Ralph. She was hesitant, but pled, "Please Kaiba, I will let you know everything about the accident. Please, just give us a moment."

Despite his better judgement he stepped outside, but he left the door slightly ajar so he could listen.

Her father stepped closer to the bed and she started to squirm, he got in her face and asked, "What were you doing out so late?"

She answered honestly, "I was showing Kaiba how to candle chicken eggs."

He asked with venom, "Are you sure this accident wasn't punishment for a sin you committed? With all these boys you hang out with, I am positive your body has been tainted."

Before she could answer, he smacked her across the face. She gasped as he came in contact with and already bruised area.

Kaiba heard the slap and her yelp. He slammed the door against the wall surprising everyone inside and outside the room. He then grabbed Ralph and pushed him into a wall. Selena shrieked and the guys tried to get Kaiba to drop Ralph. Kaiba looked Ralph in the eyes and said, "If you ever touch her like that again, I can assure you that you won't see the light of day."

Kaiba dropped her father from the wall. Ralph straightened his coat and said, "Well it looks like I have found the serpent." He then walked out of the room. Selena followed him out, but before she left she mouthed, 'thank you' to Kaiba.

He turned to Tea and saw she had tears streaming down her face. She looked away, part of her felt ashamed. She had never wanted her friends to meet her father and now that they had, she felt embarrassed by his behavior. Kaiba gently grabbed her chin and turned her face to look at him.

Hesitantly, she looked him in the eyes and saw a mixture of sorrow, anger, and disgust. He was repulsed by the idea of hitting a woman. When he had the company, he supported several battered women shelters. A red hand print covered the right side of her face. He could see a new bruise forming over the one that occurred at the accident. He gently brushed his thumb over her bruise, causing her to flinch. "Sorry," he muttered as he backed away to the corner of the room. He gave her time to talk with her friends.

Her friends looked on at the scene that just occurred in awe. Joey looked both surprised and angry. Tea was supposed to be with Yugi. Couldn't she see Yugi was crazy about her.

Tristan wasn't upset, he was simply shocked. Other than Mokuba, he had never seen Kaiba concerned over anyone.

Yugi though he didn't show it on the outside, he was crushed.

Kaiba broke the silence in the room and asked, "What happened?"

Tea shut her eyes, trying to recall the events of tonight and said, "I was heading home, when I saw a truck with his bright lights on…they were blinding me. As they got closer, I saw two men wearing some sort of cloaks. That was when I saw a brick flying towards me. I tried to avoid it but I lost control and…. the last thing I remember was them driving past. They were still throwing bricks, but they yelled something peculiar."

"What was it?" Yugi asked.

Tea answered, "Duel Disk 66. What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

All the boys looked over to Kaiba. His face blanched as he explained, "Duel Disk 66 was the project I was going to release to pull my company out of bankruptcy. I had the plans drawn out on my desk. However, the day I was going to pitch the idea to my other shareholders, it was stolen."

Tea sat up and reached out for him. He refused to move so she placed her hands in her lap and said, "This isn't your fault Kaiba. These people have probably been tormenting you ever since Mokuba went missing. You had no control over this!"

Tristan asked, "Do you think they are the ones who took Mokuba?"

Kaiba grasped the sides of the hospital bed. His knuckles were turning white and his breathing began to get heavy. His heart started to thunder in his chest. "Yes. While I searching for Mokuba, I had several clues that lead to an underground organization, but I could never pinpoint which one."

At this point Kaiba looked like he was going to fall out. Joey asked, "Hey money bags, are you feeling okay."

Kaiba shook his head and said, "Gardener, I don't want to see you anywhere near me or my farm anymore. I am more than capable of taking care of myself and I don't need you."

He was about to step out the door when Tea spoke, "But, we were having fun. I even thought we were becoming friends."

Kaiba stopped and built up another wall in his heart. His face was void of emotions as he replied, "Friendship is for fools. The sooner you learn this, the better off you will be. Stay away from me Gardener."

He shut the door and leaned against it. He heard Tea crying softly and her friends trying to comfort her. He felt guilty but thought, 'It is better this way.' He stood up straight and started his trek home.

….

The rare hunters had filmed the accident and then hacked the hospitals system and found the camera inside Tea's room. They could watch her live on camera. Marik started to laugh when he saw the heartbreak in Tea's eyes. Mokuba watched the whole scene in horror screamed at Marik, "Not only did you break down any trust they might have begun to have towards each other, but you could have killed her with that stunt! You told me why you want revenge on Seto. But why would you harm Tea, she has nothing to do with the millennium items, dueling, or Kaiba Corp."

Marik sneered and replied, "She got in my way. Now shut it, before I get annoyed and decide not to feed you today."

….

Joey was furious. Not only did he believe that Kaiba had some form of relationship with Tea. He also believed that he used her and broke her heart. He screamed, "I am glad Scrooge finally decided to go home. He is no good for you Tea. Why do you keep trying to be friends with the guy?"

Tea didn't answer, the truth is she wasn't sure why, but she knew something had always drawn her to him. Deep down she always knew he wanted a friend. He was just too afraid to let someone get close to his heart. But now she wasn't so sure. After all that progress they were making, why did he just stop?

While trying to comfort Tea, Yugi realized that Kaiba had come with him and didn't have a ride home. He excused himself from the room and promised to return in a half an hour.

Yugi got in his truck and saw Kaiba down the road. He pulled up beside him and said, "It's dark out. Why don't you let me give you a ride?"

Kaiba felt sick to his stomach. He thought to himself, 'This is why Gozaburo told me emotions are for the weak.' Reluctantly he entered the truck and shut the door.

A few minutes down the road Yugi asked, "Why?"

"Why what?" Kaiba asked irritably.

Yugi continued, "Why would you push Tea away. You were so distraught when you ripped the door off of the car to get to her. You were so gentle with her before you left the hospital room. Why are you running away from this? I would kill to see Tea look at me, the way she looked at you after you defended her today."

Kaiba frowned, and simply said, "It is better this way?"

Yugi was not going to accept that answer so he pushed further, "Why?"

Kaiba held the bridge of his nose, he felt a migraine coming on and answered, "Everyone I have ever cared about in life is either gone or they threw me aside like yesterday's newspaper. These guys are after me, and they will go to extreme lengths to hurt me. They know that they can't really attack me directly at this point, that's why they took Mokuba. I can't let them get Tea too."

Yugi was shocked when he heard Kaiba say her first name. But, it gave validity to what he had said and he believed him.

They reached the house and Kaiba was about to exit the car when Yugi said, "They already know that you have feelings for her. Even if you avoid her, they will still come after her. So, you might as well apologize to her."

Kaiba then asked, "Why are you telling me this? I thought you were crazy about her?"

Yugi's grip tightened on the steering wheel and he replied, "I am, but more than anything, I want to see her happy."


	6. Chapter 6

Kaiba tossed and turned in his bed that night. He kept thinking about what Yugi said, and part of him wanted to apologize to her. But, he was simply too scared that something would happen to her. Seeing that he was not going to be able to sleep that night, he grabbed his tools and went to the garage to finish fixing the truck. It was close to being done, it just needed a few adjustments.

By sunrise the next day the truck was fixed and filled with gas. It was ready to roll and for the record, so was Kaiba. He was soooooo tired of walking to school every day.

On his ride there, he saw a girl hobbling on crutches to the side of the road. He knew it was Tea. An internal battle occurred in his mind, 'should I pick her up or should I go in case someone was watching.'

He was about to pass her, when he saw her fall. He stopped short and exited his vehicle. He saw her struggling to stand up so he came up beside her and picked her up bridal style. He then brought her to his truck and looked her over. Other than a scraped knee and the injuries that had occurred the night before she looked fine. He then threw her crutches into the back of the truck and continued to drive to school.

It was an uncomfortable ride because the normally talkative Tea, did not utter a word. When he parked the truck, people were looking at him stunned. He pulled the crutches out the back and helped Tea out the truck. No one had ever seen him do something to help another student.

After she hobbled off, he let out a huff and thought, 'I really screwed up now.'

…

When English class started Ms. Katoshi said, "Attention class, I am excited to see you all today because I am announcing a new project."

The whole class let out exasperated sighs and irritable whines.

Ms. Katoshi frowned and replied, "Oh come on, and it is not going to be that bad. I am going to put you in pairs and interview each other and then write about something you admire about each other."

Tea sat right in front of Kaiba, so they were selected to be a group. Kaiba started to tap his pen on his desk in an annoyed fashion. He was trying to push Tea away so she doesn't get hurt, but of course fate won't allow that. So, he might as well do what he wanted to anyway.

After class, Tea gathered her books and worked on carrying herself over to her locker. Joey was waiting there for her with a big grin on his face. "Sucks for you, getting Kaiba," Joey said smugly.

"And why is that Joey?" she asked in an irritated manner.

Kaiba watched secretly from his locker as Joey shouted, "Kaiba's got no admirable qualities." Kaiba frowned despite having thick skin, things still got to him. He listened to hear Tea's response which would ultimately decide if he wanted to try to repair the damage he made on their relationship. Whatever relationship that happened to be he wasn't sure, but he knew he wanted her back.

She shut her locker and said, "Joey, just leave me alone."

Joey became rambunctious and replied, "Not til ya admit it."

She rolled her eyes and tried to hobble past him, but he got in her way. She limped over to the other side only to get stopped by him again.

Kaiba started to get angry, he knew joey was just messing with her, but he was positive that Tea would want rest. She was still weak from the accident. He shut his locker door, no longer waiting for an answer. He walked over and asked Tea, "Do you want to come work on the project?" When he looked her in the eyes he realized just how exhausted she was. She nodded and staggered off to the truck behind him. She said goodbye to Yugi and Tristan as she passed them coming out of a class room. They were surprised to see her with Kaiba again.

Joey yelled down the hall, "Fine, name just one good thing about him, and I will leave ya alone."

Yugi and Tristan started laughing as she yelled back, "Proper English!"

….

He threw his keys on the table and said, "The bedroom is all the way down the hall to the right." Tea looked at him confused and he continued, "You look like you're going to pass out from exhaustion if you don't get some sleep soon. I have somethings to do, but I will wake you up in a couple hours." She nodded gratefully and shuffled down the hall.

Kaiba stepped out of his house, he notice this morning that one of the neighboring farms had a help wanted sign. He knocked on the door and an elderly man stepped out. Before he could say anything, the old man said, "Hmmm, a little skinny, I guess you will do." He then explained "I need a farmhand. I can do small things like gathering the eggs and milk, but I need you to do things like lift hay barrels, Move feed sacks, making lumber, and so on. Do you want the job." Kaiba nodded and the old man started to walk in the house and motioned for him to follow.

He showed Kaiba around the house and explained, "When my wife was alive, this place was beautiful. She kept it looking like one of those pictures in her fancy magazines. Since she passed however, I have become older and the house has fallen into disrepair. If I tell you how to do each repair, do you think you can handle it?"

Kaiba held out his hand and replied, "When do I start?"

The old man smiled, Right to the point I see…I like that.' "You may smart tomorrow. I don't care what time you come over to do the work, as long as all the work gets done before sunup the next day. I know you are going to school and have obligations. I will post a list on the fridge every day. The door will be unlocked and if everything is done, your pay will be on the counter the next morning."

He then walked Kaiba to the door and said, "I will see you tomorrow."

…

When Kaiba returned home, he checked on Tea and saw she was knocked out. It had only been an hour, so he started to work on taking care of the animals. He was deep in thought because a few days ago, he received a call from the police saying that they were closing Mokuba's case. It had been over 9 months now and statistically the chances of finding him being alive was less than 1%. The officer suggested that Kaiba move on with his life. But, how could he? Caring for his little brother was the only thing he ever wanted to do. Now that Mokuba was gone, he wasn't even sure what was worth living for.

Kaiba heard some hay ruffle behind him and turned his head, Tea was coming towards him and turned on his stool to look at her, "Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

Tea nodded and replied, "Much better. Do you want to work on the project still, or would you prefer to work on it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow would be better," he replied, "But it needs to be during our lunch hour. I got a job working at a farm down the road."

"Congratulations," she said with a smile, "she then continued that is quite alright, I will probably catch a ride with Yugi to the game shop. I haven't spent enough time with the guys enough lately."

Kaiba frowned slightly, 'It wasn't a matter of him being jealous…Okay maybe a little. It was more of a matter of him being territorial. Kaiba now considered Tea a friend and he wanted her to himself. He knew however, that she cared about them so he nodded and replied, "Have a nice time. If you need a ride home, you can call me."

She smiled warmly and had an expression on her face Kaiba didn't recognize. She then bent down and gently pressed her lips against his cheek. She then whispered, "You know you can be really sweet when you want to be." Kaiba had frozen on contact. His face turned red and his cheek felt tingly and warm. He could hear his heart beating in his chest. He was pulled out of his reverie when he heard her scream, "You coming Kaiba?"

He smiled and walked to the house to grab his keys. He looked up at the sky and saw, the time had come to bring her home.

…

Mokuba had slept through the kiss, while Marik watched the scene in anger and disgust. He thought the car crash would be enough to chase them away from each other. But, somehow they are closer than before. Marik turned to a rare hunter and wrote a name down on a sheet of paper. He then said, "find out what facility he is being kept in and I will do the rest." The rare hunter nodded and left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey yall, I am going to be changing this story to be rated Mature. There will be several violent scenes that I would not suggest be shown to a younger viewing audience.

Marik sat in the meeting room of Domino City Jail waiting to speak with Bandit Keith. Bandit Keith was known to accept any job for money. Though it had never been proven, he was also suspected of homicide. When Bandit Keith entered, he was handcuffed and grinning from ear to ear. Keith knew Marik from a previous job, and he knew the pay was good.

Once the cop left Marik asked, "So Keith, how would you like to get out of here? I have enough money for bail. "

Keith smiled and asked, "What do you want in return?"

Marik whispered, "The body of a kid. I have Seto Kaiba's little brother in hostage and I want him alive. But I want you to dress a corpse with his clothes to trick the eldest Kaiba."

Keith replied, "So you want the corpse unrecognizable." Marik nodded, and Keith continued,  
"I know a few guys in here who could probably provide one. Do you mind if the corpse is slightly decayed?"

Sadistically Marik smiled, "Even better."

….

Marik returned to the abandoned jail where he was hiding Mokuba. When Mokuba heard the door open he looked up. Marik walked in with a towel and new clothing. Marik smiled and said, "I am feeling generous today, so with my rare hunter's supervision, I am going to allow you to take a shower."

Marik untied Mokuba. Mokuba's muscles were sore from sitting so much. He was usually allowed only about an hour per day to stretch his legs and this was the first shower he had since he was kidnapped.

While on the way to the area that contained the showers. Mokuba started to recognize things he saw when he was first dragged here. What he identified most was the entrance. This was his chance to escape.

Marik was walking next to the kid when out of nowhere, he took off running. For a moment, Marik and the rare hunters were both in shock.

Mokuba had made it about a ½ mile down the road when he saw a telephone booth. He had a few quarters in his pocket so he quickly dialed a number.

….

Kaiba had finished work early and had come home to find Tea and her friends standing around the table with several boxes of pizza. "What are you doing here." he asked (more to Tea's friends than to Tea).

Yugi spoke up, "Tea told us you found a job, so we all pitched in…"

"Even Joey," Tristan interrupted.

"Yes, even Joey pitched in to throw you a Pizza Party as a congratulations," Yugi finished.

Then Kaiba did something that just about floored the whole room. He looked down at his shoes and humbled himself by saying, "Thank you."

The room got quiet except for the pop of a can of soda Tea was holding. Yugi and the gang all looked at her.

"What," she asked. She took a sip of her soda and looked at Kaiba. She could tell he felt uncomfortable about all this. She then turned to the guys and said, "Come on now, stop gawking! I told you he is a nice guy if you get to know him, now let's eat."

Joey replied, "You don't have to tell me twice."

Kaiba reached for some plates and started to hand them out. Once he purposely ran out of the ones in his hands, he told joey, "Hold on, I have a special plate for you."

He pulls out a dog bowl from under the sink that had Joey written on it.

"What?!"Joey screamed.

With exception for Joseph, everyone in the room started to laugh. Joey then tried to grab at him but Tea was holding the back of his collar and said, "Cool it Joey. Kaiba where did you get a dog bowl with his name on it?"

Kaiba smirked and replied, "My first dog had tall and pointy ears that made him look like a kangaroo, so we named him Joey." He then turned back to Joey and taunted, "Are you sure you don't want to use it Joey? It has your name on it?" He then placed the dog bowl back under the counter and handed Joey a real plate.

Joey growled and grabbed a several slices of pizza. Tea then walked over to Kaiba and said, "You better grab some, Joey and Tristan have been known to eat 5-6 pizzas by themselves." Kaiba picked up a slice to take a bite, when his phone rang.

Kaiba walked over to the counter and picked up the phone, "What is it?"

"Big Brother!" a voice said on the phone.

Kaiba's eyes got wide and he said "Mokuba?! Where are you?"

Mokuba says, "I am at a phone booth near the old Jail. They are coming for me big brother. I gotta"….phone goes dead

"Mokuba? Mokuba!" he screamed on the phone before he hung up and ran out to the truck.

Tea ignored the pain in her leg as she quickly hobbled over and hopped in with him. She asked, "Where is he?"

"The old jail," he answered as he shut the door. Yugi, Joey, and Tristan hopped into the other car and followed.

Tea could feel her pizza start to come up as Kaiba drove. He must have been going at least 80mph.

As they got closer Kaiba saw the phone booth. It was empty so he continued to drive to the old jail.

He stopped short and unhooked his seatbelt, "Stay in the car," he told Tea. She was going to ignore his request until he said, "I need someone to monitor out here in case Mokuba's in another building hiding."

He stepped out of the vehicle and said, "Split up," to the group of boys.

They searched the jail from top to bottom and couldn't find him. They did however, find the cell that once contained Mokuba and an old laptop that had an Egyptian symbol on it. The symbol finally told Kaiba who he was looking for, Marik.

Kaiba's phone rang again, "Mokuba?" he asked.

"Hello Kaiba, fancy meeting you here," Marik said over the phone.

"Cut the crap Marik! Where is Mokuba?" Kaiba asked.

Marik replied, "Well, since your little brother seems to have blown our cover, we had to relocate. But, don't worry. You will see your little brother real soon." He paused and continued, "If I were you, I would keep an eye out for that pretty brunette in your truck though. Her fiery personality might just set off …Sparks! "

Kaiba's eyes got wide and he ran out the jail to the truck. Yugi, Joey, and Tristan weren't sure what was going on but they followed him. But, he was a fast runner.

Kaiba heard a ticking when he got outside. He rushed to the truck and swung the passenger door open. Quickly he grabbed Tea and ran out the truck towards the building. He heard an explosion and hit the ground, covering Tea as best as he could. A flaming crutch came flying past their heads and a hubcap rolled in the building.

When the explosion finished, Yugi, Tristan, and Joey finally made it out of the building. Kaiba sat up and looked down to Tea, "Are you alright?" She was shaking and scared, but she was fine. He helped her up and looked at what used to be his truck. It was now just a pile of melted metal.

"What now?" Tea asked.

Kaiba sighed and replied, "Nothing. They are long gone now and we have no idea where they went. The only thing we can do now is check the computer for any clues."

Joey used his shirt to put the fire out on the crutch that flew past us. The other crutch remained missing so we assumed it was now scrap metal.

"Let's go back to the house," Kaiba said in defeat.


	8. Chapter 8

Recap: Seto Kaiba was celebrating his new job with Tea and her friends. The phone rang and it was Mokuba. He was alive! He was calling from a phone booth for help. Kaiba and the gang drove to the location and found that Mokuba and Marik were already gone. All that was left was a computer and a trap. Kaiba saves Tea and they return home to search for more clues to Mokuba's disappearance.

 **DEAR READERS: ALTHOUGH, THE STORY IS GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR, I EDITED OUT ONE MAJOR PART. FROM THIS CHAPTER ON, YOU MAY WANT TO REREAD IT!**

Kaiba searched the computer as best he could, but he couldn't find any clues as to where Mokuba might be now. Tea called her mother and told her that she was spending the night at a friend's house. She was worried about Kaiba's mental state after all that occurred and wanted to spend the night with him to be sure he was going to be okay. She had fallen asleep on Kaiba's lap while Kaiba searched through the files of the computer.

After he gave up, he looked down at her tiny form and smiled. Although he never showed it, he had always liked Tea. Her beauty and kindness reminded him of his mother. Now that he had gotten to know her better, she became flawless in his eyes.

Suddenly, her face crunched up and her breathing quickened. She started to whimper in her sleep and Kaiba gently shook her to try to wake her from her nightmare. When that didn't work her breathing became harsh gasps and sobs. She trembled and called out for help. He shook her harder, now desperate to wake her up. "Please, don't hurt him," she screamed as she finally awoken.

She looked up in his eyes when he asked, "Don't hurt who?" Tea was still petrified and still shaking. Instead of answering him, she wrapped her arms neck and pulled him into a kiss. Kaiba's eyes got wide as her arms traveled slowly back down and she slowly started to unbutton his shirt. Taking the hint, Kaiba picked her up bridal and carried her to the bedroom. Tonight would be a night he would never forget.

…

Marik received a call from Bandit Keith and was informed that he found someone in the joint, who was willing to give him directions to a decaying corpse. Marik asked, "Does it fit the age and height description?"

Bandit Keith replied, "Of course."

Marik continued his questioning, "How did he die?"

"Well, let's just say he lost his head over things. The guy who killed him was arrested yesterday for selling hallucinogens. As far as I know, no one knows about the boy's death, he is just considered a missing person's case. I agreed to exchange the bail money he needs, which you are going to pay, for the body," Keith explained.

"Very well," Marik agreed he looked down at Mokuba, who was now wearing a fresh set of clothing and continued, "Dress the corpse in Mokuba's clothes and make sure you put his necklace on it. That is going to be the piece that throws Kaiba overboard. While you prepare that, I am going to try one last thing to get rid of the girl.

…

Still very worried about Kaiba, she visited him after school every day that week and on Sunday she went there early to surprise him. She wanted to spend the whole day as a day to cheer him up.

Kaiba woke up to the smell of biscuits in the oven. Tea was sitting on the kitchen counter with a pot of coffee freshly made. "Good Morning, Kaiba. Would you like some eggs?" she asked. Kaiba was thankfully wearing his pajamas that day, so there was no awkward underwear encounters… Not that she didn't already see everything the other night. He looked her over and noticed she was wearing a sweater and scarf, a sure sign of winter. He frowned in realization that this was going to be his first holiday without his little brother.

"What are you doing here this early?" he asked. By now he had gotten used to her coming over here unannounced and appreciated her visits. Though he would never admit it out loud, her visits are what helped him get through the day. Without Mokuba, he was left completely alone and it was just too quiet.

She shrugged and replied, "I just figured we could go out and watch a movie or something. I want to do something to make you feel better. Dress warm though, I thought I saw a penguin buying a sweater on the way over here."

He smirked and joked, "We could just do what we did the other night. That would certainly make me feel better." She shot him a dirty look and he began to snicker. He grabbed a cup of coffee and the plate of eggs and biscuits she was now handing him. He was amazed she could balance both of them while she was struggling with only one crutch. But at the same time, seeing how well their night of passion went, he wasn't surprise at all.

They ate breakfast together and talked about the movies in the theatres. While he listened to her describe the movies playing he watched her facial expressions and picked the one he knew she wanted to see the most. It was a Historical Fiction called, "Marie Antoinette." Although it was definitely a girl's movie, he definitely was able to appreciate the costumes, set designs, and more importantly the look in her eyes seeing something she truly enjoyed.

On the way back from the movie theatre, Tea walked with him through the park and stopped by a bench near a small lake. They sat together and she leaned her head on his shoulder. She then asked him the thing that had been lingering on her mind all day, "Kaiba?" He grunted to show he was listening and she continued, "My mother holds this big Thanksgiving dinner every year and I wanted to know if you would like to come?"

He looked over to her and said, "I don't think your father would approve of me, 'the serpent' as he called me, being at his dinner table."

She rolled her eyes and replied, "Please, he thinks every single one of my friends are demons." She smirked and joked, "You will fit right in."

He still looked hesitant to answer so she finished, "Look, I wouldn't be able to enjoy thanksgiving, knowing that you don't have anyone would share it with. And, I want to share it with you."

The air was growing colder so Kaiba wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. He rested his chin on her head and replied, "You know there are times when you annoy me to know end…but, there are moments like this that make you realize, I quite fancy you from time to time." He gently kissed her forehead and handed her the crutch. He said, "It's getting late, I am going to walk you home."

…

The next day, as Tea got dressed for school she had an unexplainable ominous feeling come over her. Part of her wanted to stay home that day, but she knew her father wouldn't allow her to miss a day.

As she walked closer and closer to school, the feeling of dread of followed her and grew. Her paranoia prompted her to try to take a short cut, but that turned out to be a big mistake. She turned into an alley and was instantly grabbed and callously thrown into the wall of a brick building. Suddenly she felt someone squeeze at her throat. She tried to push him away, but couldn't. She looked up at his face and realized, it was Marik. "Get off of me…What did you do to Mo…kuba?" she struggled to say.

Marik smiled and replied, "You will find out soon enough my dear. I think thanksgiving will be the perfect day to return Mokuba to his family."

Tea looked at him confused and asked, "You are… going to give… us back Moku…ba?"

He nodded and smiled sadistically, "Yes, but let's get this out of the way first. He grabbed a revolver out of his pocked and hit her in the back of the head. Immediately she fell unconscious.

…

Kaiba sat in the classroom nervously. Tea was over 20 minutes late and that was unusual for her. She was normally persnickety about arriving early to school. He waited about 10 minutes more and walked right out the door. Something wasn't right…he could sense it. Kaiba walked down her normal route she walked to school on and immediately sensed danger. His eyes narrowed in suspicion, nothing seemed out of ordinary but something just didn't feel right. That's when out of the corner of his eye he saw someone running out of an alley down the road.

Kaiba swiftly but cautiously walked down the road to see what the man was running from in the alley. He looked down the alley and didn't see anything at first. But as he was about to turn around to leave he heard a cough. He looked again and saw a hand sticking out from behind one of the boxes. He walked over to the boxes and found Tea barely breathing and beaten to a pulp. He instantly called an ambulance.

…

When the ambulance arrived, he rode in the back with her to the hospital. They rushed her into the emergency room and waited. When the nurse finally came out she said, "Ms. Gardener gave me permission to tell you of her condition but asks that you not tell her friends or parents. I am sure you figured out what happened to her."

Kaiba nodded and she continued "We ran some test and took pictures of her injuries. They will be filed away just in case she wants to pursue the perpetrator. She is pretty bruised up and it did a number on her already injured leg, but she will be okay…physically. Mentally this tends to be rough on our patients, so I ask you to keep an eye out for her."

"Can I see her yet?" Kaiba asked. The nurse nodded and he followed her to the room.

Tea was sitting in the bed with her knees pulled into her chest. She was staring at the wall and didn't even notice their arrival. Kaiba walked over to the side of the bed and reached for her hand, "Tea."

She pulled her hand back as if she had just been burnt. Her head turned to him and he could see the look of horror on her face. Once she realized it was him, she relaxed slightly and asked, "You didn't tell the guys or my parents anything, right?"

Kaiba shook his head no and replied, "I didn't but don't you think you should at least tell your mom. After all, how else are you going to be able to treat your injuries?"

She looked back down and replied, "They took pictures so they have what they need to prosecute him. I can't tell my mother because if my father were to find out he would kill me."

"You are my concern right now, not your father. There are several foundations that protect victims of violent attacks and that will help you with the cost." He replied. He knew about the funds because he used to be one of its donors.

Tea remained silent and started to tremble. Kaiba pulled off his school jacket and placed it over her to keep her warm. He then asked, "Do you know who did this?"

She nodded and replied, "Marik."

It took everything in his power to not lose it and start breaking things in the hospital room. Tea didn't need to be scared any further today. He was furious! His breathing became heavy and his vision became cloudy he was going to pass out if he didn't calm down.

Tea saw the look on his face and assumed Kaiba was mad at her for letting it happen. Tears rolled down her face and she reached out to hold his hand. The touch of her hand pulled him out of his fury for a moment and when he saw her tears, it changed to a look of concern. "What's wrong Tea?" he asked.

"Please don't be mad at me Kaiba. I couldn't bare it if you hated me too," she replied sincerely.

Kaiba was surprised by her response and replied, "I could never hate you Tea and I am certainly not angry at you for this. I am angry at Marik. He couldn't just deal with me face to face…he has to go around hurting the ones I care about."

At that moment Tea realized, he had been calling her by her first name throughout this whole conversation. "Since when did you start using my first name," she asked.

He smiled and replied, "It was the night that you slept over at my house because you were worried about me. You had no alternate motive for choosing to do so, other than my wellbeing. That was the day I truly started to trust you and began to consider you as a friend. Are you ready to go home now?"

Her heart sunk. After the night they had she would have thought that she would be more than just a friend… But, maybe that was just too much to hope for. She nodded and he called the nurse for her discharge papers.

…

Mokuba had woken up and realized his clothing had been replaced and his locket was gone. He looked around frantically for it until Marik spoke, "You wouldn't happen to be looking for this?"

Mokuba looked up and saw him holding his locket from the other side of the bars. He went up to the door of the closed cell and said, "Give it back! That's sentimental to my brother and me."

Marik smiled and replied, "I know, that is why it will be the perfect thing to trick your brother into thinking you're dead. It would be just enough finally break your brother. Then I can have my peace."

Mokuba looked at the screen and saw his older brother carrying Tea home in what looked like a hospital gown. He gasped and asked, "What did you do to her?"

Marik walked away, ignoring his question. It would only be a few more days till he led Kaiba to the brink of his sanity. He couldn't wait to watch him fall.


	9. Chapter 9

When they reached Kaiba's home, Tea called Yugi. She had left some clothing over at his house almost a year ago at a sleepover with the guys. The clothing was a little snug, but it would be less noticeable to return home in that than in a hospital gown or bloody clothing.

….

Every day after her trip to the hospital, Kaiba woke up extra early to walk to Tea's home, so she wouldn't have to walk to school alone. Tea didn't say anything about Kaiba's new habit, but she was extremely appreciative. Kaiba immediately started saving to buy a new car and worked long hours at the neighbor's home to be able to get one.

For the next week, Tea was quiet…too quiet. She was jumpy and refused to make eye contact with anyone. Yugi and her friend were suspicious that something had happened, but they didn't dare ask her what. Whatever it was they knew she wanted to keep it private and they respected her privacy from afar…

But that didn't stop them from pestering Kaiba about her. He continually said, "If she wanted you to know, she would have told you." That angered the group into thinking she told him something but didn't want them to know. She didn't come over much to Kaiba's house that week, but she insisted it was because her mother was preparing for the big thanksgiving get-together. Dark circles were forming underneath her eyes, telling him that she wasn't getting much sleep. He was growing more and more concerned about her as the week progressed.

….

The neighbor liked to talk to him while he worked. He mainly liked to talk about his wife. While she was alive, he adored his wife. Eventually they had a son together. On their son's 16th birthday, they bought him a car. Unfortunately, on his way a party his friends were throwing that night, he died in a car crash.

After a few days of working with the old man, Kaiba began to become more comfortable and started to talk about his younger brother Mokuba. He talked about the things they used to do together and all the wonderful places he visited after his stepfather died. He eventually explained, "Mokuba is the only family I have left. He was kidnapped and I don't know if I will ever see him again."

The older man listened intently and asked, "What about that pretty girl I see coming over to your house all the time?"

Unknowingly Kaiba smiled, "Tea is just a friend. After I lost Kaiba Corp, she helped me get back on my feet."

The elderly gentleman said, "She looked like more than a friend to me. Mr. Kaiba, take it from me, if you don't go out and snatch an opportunity when it is handed to you, it will be taken away faster than your eye can blink. You better talk to that girl, and fast. I have seen the way she looks at you and the genuine care she gives to all the animals on your ranch. A woman that can be bought, isn't worth anything. However, a girl like Tea, who has stuck with you when you lost everything, is more precious than any diamond."

….

Thanksgiving Day arrived and Kaiba had been thinking about what the elderly gentleman said. He had come to the conclusion that he was right. He was going to tell her how he felt about her after dinner with her parents. Kaiba knocked on the door and was surprised to find Tea's mom opened the door. "Hello Mr. Kaiba," she greeted as she stepped aside to let him in. She continued, "Tea is feeling a bit under the weather, she will be down soon though. The boys are in the living room playing video games."

Suddenly Kaiba heard a lurching sound, Mrs. Gardener cringed and screamed, "I am coming Tea."

Instead of going to the living room, he followed Mrs. Gardener until he saw Tea sitting on her knees in the bathroom with her head resting on the seat of the toilet. She looked pale and sweaty. Mrs. Gardener was about to assist her to her room, but Kaiba put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I will take care of Tea, you just go finish whatever you need to do."

Kaiba tried to pick her up, but she waved no to him. She was scared to move away from the toilet at the moment. Instead of trying to move Tea, Kaiba sat next to her for the next few minutes and rubbed circles on her back until she felt confident enough to move without vomiting. Tea then brushed her teeth and walked with Kaiba down the stairs to join Thanksgiving dinner.

Ralph Gardener kept his eyes on Kaiba like a hawk. He was ready to kill his wife for letting the serpent into his household. The cooking was delicious, but Kaiba found it hard to enjoy with almost everyone staring at him like he did something. What made Kaiba more concerned though, was how little Tea ate. She mainly pushed the food around with her fork. She must have been afraid she would get sick again.

Suddenly, Kaiba's phone rang. Annoyed, he pushed himself from the table and walked outside to take the call.

"What is it?" He asked.

A voice on the other side of the phone said, "Mr. Kaiba, this is Domino Police station. We think we found your brother…"

Kaiba interrupted the cop before he could finish the sentence, "I will be right there."

Kaiba ran inside and said, "Yugi, I need your keys."

Yugi looked up in surprise and said, "Umm sure, I guess."

Tea immediately stood up. She wasn't sure what was going on but she knew it was big. She followed Kaiba out the door and hopped into the passenger side of the truck. The guys must have sensed something important was happening too because they followed the truck in another car.

Kaiba was driving so fast, Tea was certain she was going to vomit before the trip was over. The minute the truck stopped in front of the police station, Tea opened the door and puked outside the truck. Kaiba ran into the police station and excitedly asked, "Where is he?"

The secretary pointed to a room and said, "Officer Donald will bring him in there in a moment. Be seated and we will notify you when he is ready."

At that point Tea and the rest of the gang walked in. Tea sat next to Kaiba and placed her head on his shoulder. He could feel through his shirt that she had a fever. The officer walked in and bid us to follow. Once outside the door the cop turned around and said, "Mr. Kaiba I want you to brace yourself. He isn't going to look like you remember him."

Annoyed, Kaiba said, "Move aside. I want to see my little brother."

The cop stepped to the side and thought, 'Why does he look so happy? I hope he realizes he is here to identify…' Before the cop could finish his train of thought the door swung open and he instantly realized Kaiba was misinformed.

Kaiba opened the door and a stench hit his nose he stepped in and saw the decapitated corpse of a kid wearing Mokuba's clothes. Kaiba's heart stopped and he saw the necklace. His hands shook as he opened it…

Tea walked in after Kaiba and immediately lurched up her dinner into a garbage can by the door. The stench of death was so strong, but she had to push through it. She looked over at the table and saw Kaiba opening the locket. Once she realized who the child was and immediately vomited again. She walked over to Kaiba and who had just seen the photo inside of the locket and collapsed. He was sobbing over the body of his deceased brother. He had no one left.

Tea knelt down wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer as he cried into his shoulder. Still queasy, she tried not to move too much but still managed to softly stroke his back. Tears rolled down her eyes too as she comforted Seto.

Eventually the scene was too much for her to take. "Kaiba,"she whispered, "I am about to be sick." He nodded and let her go. Yugi helped her outside the door and into a chair. While Joey and Tristan tried to drag Kaiba out of the room.

…

Mokuba watched his brother crumble in horror. "How could you do this to him Marik?!" he screamed to the man sitting in a computer chair. Marik was watching the whole scene in satisfaction. Marik ignored him and continued to watch with a creepy smile across his face. Mokuba realized that yelling wasn't getting him anywhere. Finally Mokuba let out a sigh and begged, "Please, please leave my brother alone. It is done…you have broken him beyond repair. Please just let him be. Do with me what you wish, but let my brother go." 

Marik finally turned around and replied, "As touching as that is, I won't stop until he is dead. I want him to grieve himself to death."

"Essentially, you want him to kill himself?" Mokuba asked. Marik nodded and Mokuba continued "News Flash Marik! Seto and I lost both of our parents. The rest of our family didn't want us so they sent us to an orphanage, when they finished squandering away our trust fund. He was mentally and physically abused by our step-father. Then, he raised me when he was only a child himself. After, I was kidnapped he lost everything he worked so hard to create for himself trying to find me. Now he found the woman he loves nearly beaten to death, and is under the impression that his little brother is dead. If none of that has made him kill himself, what else do you think you can do?"

Marik replied, "The night is young Mokuba. You don't actually think he would kill himself in front of all those people, do you?"

Mokuba's eyes widened in realization. 'Please Seto, don't let Marik be right.' He thought to himself.

…

Tea went home with Kaiba that night. She was paranoid he was going to hurt himself. She had hardly ever seen Kaiba show his emotions. Seeing him breakdown in public, she knew it was too dangerous for him to be alone. When Kaiba entered the house behind her, he told her, "The bedroom is yours."

Nervously Tea whispered, "Come to bed." Kaiba looked up in surprise and she repeated, "Come to bed Kaiba. I appreciate your gesture, but there is no use in you sleeping on the couch when there is a perfectly nice bed to sleep in. After all, it's not like it is the first time we slept together."

"Are you sure?" he asked, "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Tea nodded and explained, "At some point I will have to learn to get close to people again. I rather it be with someone I trust, like you."

With that Kaiba followed her into the bedroom and they fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.


	10. Chapter 10

Both Tea and Kaiba tossed and turned in their sleep that night. It was next to impossible to sleep peacefully. Kaiba eventually gave up on sleeping and left the bed. He stepped into the bathroom and washed his face. His head was pounding so he opened the medicine cabinet to find a pain relief pill.

As he looked into the medicine cabinet a thought blew over him, 'what if I could just go to sleep and not wake up.' He saw a bottle of sleeping pills and looked at it thoughtfully. He then turned his head to look at Tea who was curled up in the bed. It was amazing how just one look at her could make even the darkest days feel a just little bit brighter. He placed the pills back in the cabinet, deciding against it, and walked back to the bed.

He looked her sleeping form and thought about Mokuba. Mokuba would have been furious with him if he knew what he had been contemplating. Kaiba would be making the funeral arrangements for Mokuba tomorrow. He wanted to give his little brother a proper burial, and for that he would need to be alive.

Tea's face scrunched up and she began to toss and turn in her sleep. Kaiba saw she was having a nightmare. He pulled her closer to him, although she was still trembling, she seemed to calm with his touch. He wasn't sure if she was having nightmares about what happened a few weeks ago, or the sight of Mokuba's corpse. The sight of his little brother certainly left a lasting impression in his mind.

Earlier that day, after he managed to pull himself together somewhat, he asked the cops if they found his little brothers head. The cops explained to him that the head couldn't be found. Not even the dogs detected the missing head. The murderer likely kept it as souvenir. Kaiba's fist clenched, he would avenge his baby brother. No matter what…

….

When Tea woke the next morning, she was just as nauseated as she was the day prior. As she started to recall the events from the previous day, the memory of Mokuba's body sent her running to the bathroom to hurl. Kaiba had already left to work at the neighbor's house and she was worried she would get sicker on the way home. It was getting colder as it got closer to Christmas and she didn't want her virus to get worse.

Kaiba came back about 2 hours later and Tea asked, "Kaiba, could you take me home?" He turned around to look at her and saw she was extremely pale. He put his hand to her head and said, "You're burning up." He lifted her up and continued, "You aren't going anywhere today. I will call your parents and let them know."

"No, I am going to be fine. Walk me home." She said with authority.

Kaiba smirked at her effort of being intimidating and continued his way toward the bedroom. She squirmed until he put her down and said, "Please, Kaiba take me home." This time it was like she was pleading to go home.

Kaiba let out a sigh and said, "Maybe the neighbor will let me borrow his old truck to bring you home tomorrow. He lets me use it for transporting supplies back and forth. The snow is too thick for me to drive and you are too sick to walk that far, so you will just have to deal with it."

Tea let out a sigh in defeat and asked, "Can I at least stay by you? After the nightmare I had last night, I don't want to be by myself."

Kaiba nodded and replied, "I have to make some for the funeral. But you can rest on the couch while I try to organize things."

Kaiba sat at the kitchen table with the computer and his phone. Tea could see the frustration and agony on his face while he worked on trying to scrape up the money for the burial. Tea offered to help him with some of the money she had saved for dancing school. But he completely refused. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the offer, he just couldn't accept something that she worked so hard for.

When Kaiba was done making the arrangements, he put his head in his hands. After all he had done to keep his little brother safe and to give him a happy and prosperous future, it was all for naught. His brother was gone, his company went under, and any sense of security he once had was diminished. The only thing he could offer his little brother now was a tiny flat grave marker and a cheap casket. He couldn't even afford to buy a decent floral arrangement.

Although, he didn't say anything Tea could sense his distress. It was getting late now and he would need all of his strength to attend the funeral tomorrow.

…

The next day, Kaiba borrowed his neighbor's truck to drop Tea off at home so she could get ready for the funeral. When he returned the truck to the neighbor's home, the neighbor came out dressed in black and offered, "I will drive your girlfriend and you to the funeral if you wish. I am sure you won't be in any condition to drive home afterward." Kaiba didn't bother correct his assumption that Tea was his girlfriend. He simply nodded in agreement and went inside to get dressed.

….

At the burial plot, Kaiba was surprised to see the masses of people who had gathered to mourn his little brother's passing. Sure Mokuba had many friends but the amount of people who came was much bigger than he expected. He was shocked to find some of his old employees and people from companies he used to work with showed up to pay their respects. Each one of Tea's friends was there to show their support. Even Pegasus made an appearance.

Flowers from several different people lined the area where his little brother's casket lay. Kaiba helped Tea out the truck and got a closer look. The casket was closed and many people sat envelopes on top with messages to Mokuba. Several kids his age were in tears, especially Mokuba's childhood friend Rebbeca Hawkins. Shortly after Kaiba's arrival the funeral started.

After the priest said his piece, he asked Kaiba to say a few words about his brother. Kaiba stood up at the podium and said, "My little brother meant the world to me. After our parent's died, I promised him that one day we would be on top of the world and that he would never want for anything. After all the things we went through to get there, he became the only one I trusted. I promised Mokuba that I would always protect him… I just hope that he can forgive me."

Seto walked away from the stand wearing an emotionless mask. Despite his expression, Tea and those who knew him well enough could see he was dying on the inside. Tea instantly walked up to him and threw her arms around his torso. She was getting sicker and sicker by the minute, but she knew he needed her there. Kaiba instead of returning the hug, he unwrapped her limbs from around him and walked past her.

That was when it happened, he took a few steps away when he heard a cry of pain. He turned around to see Tea keeling over. Her face was ghostly pale and she began to gasp for air. Kaiba went back over to her and she whispered, "Call an ambulance." She then collapsed in his arms.

…

Mokuba was in tears as he watched the funeral. He could see his brother trying to hide his distress and could see just how serious his "Death" had an effect on his older brother. "You always were there to protect me Seto. There is nothing to forgive," he whispered as he watched his older brother's speech.

When Tea collapsed even Marik looked surprised. They watched as an ambulance arrived and put a breathing mask on her before they carried her inside. Kaiba climbed into the ambulance with her and hurried away to the hospital. Marik turned to the rare hunter in the rear side of the room and said, "You know what to do. Find out what is going on."

…

Kaiba paced back and forth in the waiting room of the ER. When the doctor finally came out, she walked up to Kaiba and greeted him, "Hi, are you here for Ms. Gardener?" Kaiba nodded and she continued, "Well, we examined Ms. Gardener and determined that there isn't anything wrong with her…"

He interrupted, "She has been vomiting for over a week and then passed out at my brother's funeral. And now you are telling me that there is nothing wrong with her?"

The doctor explained, "Well, yes there is nothing physically wrong with her health wise. She is a perfectly healthy girl, she is just pregnant." Kaiba's eyes grew wide, he was stunned to say the least. What is a 16-year-old girl going to do with a baby? The doctor then asked, "Are you the father?"

Kaiba was silent, he didn't know what to say. He knew what it was like to grow up without his parents. He could never let Tea trying to raise this child by herself. He knew her parent's wouldn't be of any assistance to them. They would probably try to terminate the pregnancy or to force her to put it up for adoption. He couldn't think about putting another child through what he went through at the orphanage. Finally, he answered the doctor, "Yes, I am the child's father. Can I see Tea now?"

The doctor smiled and replied, "Sure, but I want to warn you, she seems a little out of it right now. I think it is just the shock of being with child."

Kaiba walked in and found Tea crying her eyes out. Her life as she knew it was over. She would have a difficult time finishing school, she had a crappy minimum wage job, she would never achieve her dream of be a professional dancer, all these things and more swirled around her head, and she was petrified. Kaiba sat next to her in the bed and used his thumbs to wipe away the tear streaks down her face.

Tea threw her arms around Kaiba and nuzzled into his neck. In a way his presence felt like a safety blanket. She wanted to stay near him while she sorted things out.

When Tea finally calmed down some Kaiba asked, "What are you going to do?"

Tea looked down to her hands and replied, "The only thing I can do, I am going to keep it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I gave the child up."

Kaiba nodded and continued, "Do your parents know yet?"

She shook her head, "No, and the longer they don't know, the better."

Tea's eyes started to droop so Kaiba decided to cease questioning until she got some rest.

….

Marik watched with an arrogant smirk crossing his face. "She is pregnant huh," he said to his rare hunter, "Well, when the time is right. I am sure grandma and grandpa would love to know that their precious daughter is knocked up." He started to laugh manically and turned to Mokuba. "Your brother is too young to raise child. Soon enough he will figure out how difficult it is to be a father, and toss her to the side like yesterday's trash."

Mokuba spit on him and screamed, "You don't know anything about my big brother! He raised me. He would never do anything to hurt Tea and he certainly wouldn't hurt their child. My brother would run through the fiery pits of hell and back if it meant he would be protecting his family."

…

Christmas was getting closer and Kaiba worked extra hard to save for a car. Tea visited him in the afternoons after work. She started to wear sweatshirts to hide that she was showing slightly. They had to think of something, fast. Neither of them wanted to think about what the next step was going to be. She curled up on the couch and rested her head in Kaiba's lap. Tea then had a random thought and asked, "Kaiba, why can't I call you by your first name?"

Kaiba raised his eyebrow. He was slightly curious where that came from but replied, "I never said you couldn't. People just call me Kaiba out of respect since I used to be a public figure. After a while, I just got used to it."

"So may I call you, Seto?" she asked nervously.

Kaiba smirked slightly and answered, "Sure."

…..

Marik picked up the phone and called the Gardener residence. Tea's father picked up, "Hello."

Marik made his voice sound high pitched and said, "Hi, is Miss Tea Gardener home?" He knew she wasn't but it would lead to his desired ploy.

Her father answered, "No miss she is not, but I can take a message for her if you would like."

Marik smiled, "This is Cindy from Planned Parenthood, I just wanted to say congratulations to her and let her know about our services we offer."

"WWWWWHHHHAAAATTTT?!" He screamed. He quickly hung up the phone and ran upstairs to her room.

…

Tea's phone rang, so she sat up and reached for it, "Hello?"

"Tea, you have to get over here! There is something wrong with your father and he is currently destroying everything." Tea's mother said with panic.

Tea shut her phone and looked to the man sitting to her left. "Seto, I think he knows."

He immediately got up and went over to the neighbor's home to ask to borrow his truck.

When they arrived at the home, there was a huge fire in front the house. Tea looked into the fire and saw her clothing, books, and photographs turning to ash. She ran into the house and up the stairs to her room. She gasped as she saw her father smashing everything that was left with a metal baseball bat.

Her father turned around and his eyes glowed with fury. He charged towards her with the baseball bat. She bent over to protect her stomach and waited for the blow, she heard a grunt but the pain never came. She opened her eyes and realized that Seto wrapped his body over hers and took the blow. He then pushed her towards the door and told her to go to the car. Her father yelled as she ran away, "Don't you ever come back home! You are not welcome here and neither is your bastard child!"

Her father continued his assault on Seto, catching him in the chest and sides a few times. But now with Tea safe, he fought back. He grabbed the bat and pulled it out of Ralph's hands. He kicked Ralph in the chest, which moved Ralph away from the door. He then slammed the door and put a chair under the door knob to lock him in there.

As Seto ran to the car, Tea's mother handed him a small pink pouch and said, "Please give this to my daughter and let her know that I love her."

Seto grabbed it and once he reached the truck he threw the small pouch in her lap and started the ignition. He flew down the road until he knew for certain that Tea's father didn't escape and follow them to his home. Seto let out a breath as he pulled into the neighbor's garage. He helped Tea out the truck and pulled her into his chest. He kissed her passionately and whispered, "You're safe now." He was terrified when he saw her father coming after her. His anger boiled over as he thought 'not only did Ralph try to hurt his own child, but he endangered the life of his unborn grandchild.'

When he finally let Tea go, he led her into the house and into his bedroom. As soon as she reached the bed, she sat on it, pulled her knees into her chest, and began to cry. Her own father didn't want her anymore. She took the small pouch in her hands and threw it on the nightstand. She simply didn't have the energy to bother with it."

Seto sat next to her and rubbed circles on her back. He looked to her nervously and asked, "Tea, I know you're scared right now, but you don't have to be….I want to help you raise this child. I can't offer you a rich or glamorous life. But I can promise you that you would always have a roof over your head and food on the table. I would never throw you out in the cold like your father did. We could work together to raise the child, kind of like a real family….If that is what you want?"

Tea sat there in shock and wondered, 'Is he truly looking to help me, or is he trying to create a family to replace the one he lost.' She knew that right now was definitely not the time to make any brash decisions and answered, "My mind is going everywhere right now. Just give me a night to think about things, please."

Seto looked slightly disappointed but he accepted it. He leaned forward to kiss her on her forehead and crawled into bed.

…

The next morning when Seto woke up, he tried to sit up and howled out in pain. The noise startled Tea and caused her to accidentally whacked him in the chest. Seto was now leaning forward on one arm breathing uneasily. "What's wrong," she asked as she looked him over. It was too painful for him to speak. Tea noticed him clutching his side and walked around the bed.

When she reached him, she gently lifted his shirt and saw his entire back and torso colored black and blue. "Seto," she said breathily, "We need to get you to a hospital." She tossed the shirt to the side and went to grab her phone to call an ambulance.

Seto shook his head and in a raspy voice said, "Grab my wallet." She handed it to him and he pulled out a card. He handed the card to Tea, "Call him."

It was the number of a MD so she didn't object. She called the number and explained the situation to him. Immediately the doctor agreed and told her that he would be over within the hour. Tea sat on the bed next to Seto,silently stroking his hair. He closed his eyes hoping the pain would slowly start to subside. Tea felt immensely guilty for the damage her father had caused. She silently prayed that whatever was wrong with Seto, could be easily fixed. She hated seeing him suffering like this. It even seemed like he was struggling to breathe properly.

Within a few minutes she heard a knock and went to answer the door. She kindly greeted the doctor and brought him into the bedroom.

The doctor took one look at Kaiba and knew there was going to be some extensive damage. The doctor looked up at Kaiba and asked, "What the hell happened to you?"

When Kaiba didn't answer, the doctor simply continued his evaluation. He pulled out his stethoscope and checked his breathing. He watched his ribs as he breathed.

Once he was finished that, he turned to Tea and said, "I am going to need to press on Mr. Kaiba's ribs. I anticipate this is going to be very painful, so I highly suggest you leave the room if you don't think you can handle it." Tea turned to Seto as if to ask him if he wanted her to leave or stay. He signaled to her it was alright to leave and she stepped out the room and closed the door.

Starting from the top going down, the doctor pressed each one of Kaiba's ribs individually. "How have you been doing?" He asked. He had heard about Mokuba's gruesome death and had been worrying about the eldest Kaiba ever since.

"As good as can be expected, Doctor Brown." Kaiba replied.

The doctor continued to move down the rib cage and asked, "Who is the pretty young lady you have living with you? Is she your girlfriend?" The doctor looked up to Kaiba as he shook his head no and replied, "she is just a fam… friend." Kaiba bit his tongue as he realized he almost called her a family friend. Mokuba is gone, so there is no longer a family. It was just him alone. He cringed as the doctor pressed a certain rib. The doctor pressed it again just to be sure and Kaiba hissed in pain. "Well, here it is," Doctor Brown said, "Do you hurt anywhere else?" The doctor didn't wait for him to answer and continued down the rib cage. With the next rib Kaiba let out a loud grunt. Finally reaching the last rib, the doctor explained, "Besides the massive bruises that you have mysteriously acquired, you seem to have broken 2 ribs. I am going to put you on bed rest for a while and write down a few breathing exercises."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed, he didn't have time for bed rest, "How long are we talking?"

The doctor replied, "For at least 3 days, I don't want you leaving this bed with exception of going to the bathroom. If you do need to get elsewhere, you have to have someone with you! After that you will be slowly building up your strength by doing little things like stretches or short walks. After 2 months you can return to work."

"2 months," Kaiba screamed, "How the hell do you expect me to afford being out of work for two months."

Tea, who was secretly listening in walked in and replied, "With my help." She turned to the doctor and said, "Doctor, could you give us a moment."

The doctor left the room and she walked over to the bed and sat next to him, "Seto, last night when you asked me to move in with you. I told you that I had to think it over. Well, as I was staring up at the ceiling last night, I thought about what you said about being a like a real family. Although I am still uncertain about wanting to take this step, I know that families do things to help each other. If I didn't help you and we became serious in the future, I would regret it. But I would never regret helping a friend. You are a loyal and caring person. The way you used to care for your little brother always astounded me and makes me confident that you would commit to this whole heartedly. I believe that if we tried, we could work together like a family."

Despite the pain Seto felt in his body, he managed to smile and replied, "I know we can."

She leaned forward and carefully kissed his cheek. "I am going to fix us some breakfast," she whispered before she left the room. In the kitchen she met the doctor and asked, "How much do we owe you?"

The doctor smiled and replied, "The debt was paid by Kaiba 3 years back. My adopted son, Jacob, and Mokuba were friends and always played together. After a car accident, one of Jacob's kidneys were punctured and became useless and the other was not functioning properly. He had to be put on dialysis and we were uncertain of how much time he had left to live. Mokuba told his older brother about Jacob's problem and Kaiba came to me the next day to check if his Kidney would be a good match. Surprisingly enough, he was a match. Kaiba agreed to the surgery and my son is now living a normal and happy childhood. After the surgery, I told Kaiba that if he should ever need some medical attention that he should call me, and I will tend to him free of charge. Up until today, he never took me up on the offer." He then surprised Tea by asking, "How far along are you?"

"About 6 weeks…How did you know?" she asked. Sure she was showing slightly, but it wasn't that obvious.

The doctor laughed and replied, "I have seen enough pregnancies to recognize it," he then continued, "I will be here if you need someone to deliver your child. Are you taking prenatal vitamins?" She shook her head no and he said, "I am assuming this is your first pregnancy so you probably didn't know better, but you need to take prenatal vitamins. If you don't the child will still receive any nutrients it needs. But, it will take it away from you. That will make your bones brittle as you get older." He wrote out a prescription for pain pills for Kaiba. And, he wrote a prenatal vitamin prescription for Tea. Finally he concluded, "If you two ever need medical attention, I will be here to help. He saved my son's life so you can be sure I will always show my gratitude to him and his family." He then picked up his briefcase and left.


	11. Chapter 11

To be able to go to school on Monday, she borrowed a uniform from Joey's sister, Serenity. She told Serenity that her Uniform was ruined because she sat in gum at school.

Tea looked at Kaiba before she left. He was still passed out from the pain pills Doctor Brown prescribed. She smiled and walked over to the side of the bed, he looked so peaceful when he slept. She bent over and gently kissed him on the nose. She noticed him fidget, but he didn't wake. She picked up her book bag and keys and walked out the door.

When she made it to school, people were looking at her strangely. She felt uneasy, but continued to her classroom. When she reached the class, her friends were there waiting for her. She looked at them nervously and said, "Hey guys…yall are here early. What's going on?"

Their eyes got wide and Joey asked, "Wait, you don't know?"

"Know what," she asked, "what's going on?"

Serenity walked in the room and noticed Tea standing next to Joey. She immediately placed her books on the desk and threw her arms around Tea. Serenity whispered, "I am sorry for your loss."

"My loss?" she asked.

Serenity paled, she didn't realize that Tea didn't know about her parent's death and now she is going to have to be the one to tell her. Serenity cleared her throat anxiously and replied, "Yes, Tea. It was on the news last night… A fire caused your home to burn down last night. The firemen found two bodies and it is believed that both of your parents died inside. The cause of death was never confirmed…..Your parents are dead Tea."

Tea ran to the trash can as she felt a surge of vomit come up. Gone…they are both gone. Another wave of nausea came over her and she started to shake. Yugi walked by her side and said, "The teacher didn't take role yet. How about we play hooky today and I can give you a ride back to the game shop. You can stay with us for a while until you get back on your feet.

Tea shook her head no and replied, "I already have a place to stay for now, but I would love a ride home."

Yugi nodded and picked up her book bag. On the way to the car, they had to make a few stops for her to upchuck. Finally, she just took a bag out of the garbage can, by the school office, and took it with her. She didn't want to get vomit in Yugi's car.

Yugi sat in the car and rolled the windows down. Hopefully it would prevent his car from smelling like puke. "Where to?" he asked curiously.

"Seto's house," she answered.

Yugi did a double take, "Seto? As in Seto Kaiba?!"

She nodded and he began to drive. Tears rolled down her face as she sat in the car. She like Seto, had no one left…Well that wasn't entirely true, she did have her unborn child. But nothing could sooth the pain she was currently feeling in her heart. Her mother was her best friend and now she is gone. She will never be able to meet her grandbaby.

Yugi was still thinking about Kaiba, 'why would she pick staying with him over staying with me,' he thought. His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel, he knew Kaiba had feelings for her. Could it be that she was developing feelings for him too?

When Yugi arrived to Kaiba's house, he was angry. Part of him thought this would be just another guy Tea dated and dumped. But nooooo, now she was choosing to live with Kaiba over him. He could have made her happy if she would just give him a chance. He heard Tea's sobs get louder and let out a breath. Right now was not the time to think about himself. Tea needed him right now and if she wanted to go to Kaiba's house, let her.

When she arrived at the house. She quickly fumbled around her purse to find the key. Yugi followed her inside.

Kaiba heard the front door open from his bedroom. He looked at the alarm clock on the night stand and thought, 'Who the hell just entered my house? It can't be Tea, she is at school right now.' He reached in his night stand and pulled out a gun. He tip toed through the hall and saw Tea with her head on the table and Yugi putting on a pot of coffee. Kaiba frowned when he saw Yugi. Even though he knew that he was Tea's friend, he still felt like Yugi was competition. He put down the gun and said, "A simple, "I'm home" would have been nice." That was when he realized Tea was crying. He froze because he was unsure what to do. 'Did something happen or is it just her hormones going nuts?' he thought to himself.

Since Tea didn't say anything and Kaiba didn't look like he knew what to say, Yugi explained, "Tea's home caught on fire last night. Her mom and dad were found, but the cause of death still hasn't been determined."

Kaiba walked up behind her and started to massage her shoulders. He wanted to lean over and hug her, but despite the fact that Yugi had already seen him cry. He still didn't feel comfortable showing any emotions or signs of affection when other people were around. Kaiba's ribs burned from standing too long. "Have you seen the house yet?" Kaiba asked

She shook her head no and replied, "I'm scared. I don't know if I could handle seeing it."

Kaiba looked towards Yugi and asked, "Yugi, could you give us a ride to the house. That way she won't be alone. I am sure the police are looking for her."

Yugi was still pissed and wanted to tell Kaiba to just take his keys and go jump in a lake. However, he knew Kaiba was right. Yugi turned off the coffee pot, grabbed his keys, and walked out the door."

….

When they arrived at what used to be Tea's house, they were stunned by the damage. Where the house once stood, there was nothing but a pile of rubble. Tea's legs were wobbly so she needed to lean on the car for support.

Some police saw her pull up and the officer walked over to her and said, "Ms. Gardener, I presume?" She nodded and he continued, "As I am sure you can see, your home has burnt down. Your parents were found inside. From the autopsy, we discovered they died before the fire."

"Before?" Tea asked.

The cop nodded and said, "Yes, According to the firemen and the autopsy report, your mother was found tied to a chair with a bullet in head. The bullet killed her. We believe your father lit the sofa on fire and walked back to the kitchen where your mother was found. A gun was found in his hand. We assume that he shot her and then turned the gun on himself."

"Why did he burn down the house then?" Yugi asked.

The officer answered, "Well, we were hoping you could answer that Ms. Gardener."

He handed her an envelope they found in the mailbox. Tea's hands shook when she saw her name in the front. She pulled the paper out the envelope and read, "Tea, there was a time when you were my world. But, now you and your bastard child mean nothing to me. I did this because someone who means nothing doesn't deserve anything. May god have mercy on your soul!"

"Bastard child? What did he mean by that?" Yugi asked confused.

Before Yugi could say anything Kaiba said, "It means that I am going to be a father."

Yugi quickly realized what Kaiba meant by this and he couldn't take it. He walked back to his car and sped off down the road.

Tea, who was now thoroughly pissed turned to Seto and said, "Smooth Seto, real smooth! Now how are we supposed to get home?"

The cop who was talking to them said, "I could give you a ride home. My shift is about to end anyway."

Seto could feel the tension in the car on the ride home. He knew she was mad and that she was probably going to give him an ear load when he got home.

As predicted, when they entered the house Tea screamed, "Why did you do that? Yugi and you have been fighting each other ever since we first met. Now he thinks that I betrayed his friendship, by sleeping with his rival. Do you realize how bad you must have damaged his ego?"

"Yugi wasn't upset because his cheerleader is pregnant by his dueling rival." Seto said irritably.

Tea was hysterical at that point and asked, "Oh really? Then do tell, what else could have possibly made him angry?"

At this point Kaiba was getting tired and his ribs were killing him. He yelled, "It's because he has feelings for you, alright?! I said what I said because he was trying to encroach on my territory. Yugi has lots of friends and even has a grandfather to care for. You're all I've got. And I will be damned if I am going to let him take the one person I have left to care for in this world."

She screamed, "He was trying to encroach on your territory? So what, now am I your property?!"

Kaiba answered "No Tea, that's not what I meant…"

She interrupted, "Save it Kaiba! Let's make one thing clear, I agreed to work together like a family, not to become family. If you want something further than what we have now, you're going to have to put a ring on it."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and walked past her. Tea followed him and screamed, "I wasn't done talking to you!" He continued walking until he made it to his closet. He pulled out a metal box with a lock on it and opened it. Meanwhile Tea was mumbling on and on about Yugi. He tuned her out slightly as he dug through the metal box.

When he finally found what he was looking for he opened it and showed her the ring, "Will this do?" he asked. Tea stood there in shock, for once she was speechless. "It was my mother's Wedding ring. She was a wonderful person who always tried to make Mokuba and me feel like we could conquer the world. She used to bring us books home about firemen, astronauts, airplanes and it just made us feel like we could be anything we wanted. I loved her and in her memory, I always wanted to give the ring to my wife. Tea…Will you marry me? " He would have knelt if his ribs weren't broken.

Tea looked at the beautiful ring. It was a large heart shaped pink sapphire with small diamonds all the way around it. It was something he got from the woman who meant everything to him as a kid. And now he wanted to give it to her. She looked up at him and asked, "Seto Kaiba, do you love me?"

He was silent and refused to answer her question. The truth was, he thought he did but he couldn't help being uncertain. Gozaburo had taught him to feel nothing, no emotion and no pain. Although, Tea broke some of that wall down, he still had Gozaburo's voice mocking him inside his head. He took the ring out of the velvet box, slid it on her finger, and said, "Just think about it." She was stunned that the ring fit.

….

Mokuba had been watching the whole thing and let out a cheer when his brother proposed. Although she didn't answer his big brother, he knew it as only a matter of time. Marik watched in anger. He is going to make Kaiba crumble if it is the last thing he will ever do.

…..

Kaiba walked out the door and decided to sleep on the couch tonight. He didn't want to answer any more questions nor did he want to be sleeping next to an angry hormonal pregnant woman.

Tea laid back in the bed and thought about what he just asked her. Did he want to marry her because he loved her or was it that he just didn't want to be left alone? She had to know. She then started to chuckle as she thought, 'Leave it to Kaiba, to propose to me in the middle of a fight.' That boy gets more confusing every day. That was when she decided to use her last resort and called up Serenity and Mai. Luckily, Mai was actually with Serenity that night.

Tea greeted "Hey guys, do yall want to skip school tomorrow and go to the mall? I really need somebody to talk to."

"Of course, hun! You know us girls have to stick together. What time? I will come pick you up," Mai asked.

Tea answered, "As soon as the mall opens. So let's say 10:00."

Tea looked around the room and noticed the small pink pouch on her nightstand. She had completely forgot about it from the other night. She opened up the pouch and realized it was her money she saved for dancing school. There was also a piece of paper inside, she unfolded it and read, "Tea, Stay away from home. Your father has completely lost it and I don't want you or my grandchild getting hurt."

Tea gasped and thought, 'How did she know?' as if her mother knew what she was thinking the next part of the note read, "Mothers just know these things. I have known since Thanksgiving. What comforts me at this time is knowing how much that boy cares for you. When I saw the way he looked at you, I knew he was going to be the one. Your father never looked at me that way and I spent the majority of my life miserable. I saved your money and your locket before your father could destroy it. Whether you and choose to use the money to make your lives together better or you use it to get started on your own is entirely up to you. But if I were you, I would do anything I could to hold on to him. He is a good person and he will protect you to no end. I love you my darling, and I love my grandchild too. Take care and good luck.

With Love,

Mom"

Tea dropped the letter and shook out the purse. Sure enough, the locket was inside. She put it around her neck and a tear rolled down her cheek. "Thanks mom," she whispered in the dark.

….

The next morning, Seto woke up early and fixed the bandages on his chest. He was still wearing his pajama pants but decided not to bother with a shirt. He pulled out a box of pancake batter. She would have to decide how she wanted to deal with what was left of her parent's bodies. He had to sit by the stove as he cooked, to take some of the pressure off his ribs. If he couldn't tell her how he felt about her, he could at least try to convince her that he would make a good husband. Suddenly, he heard her vomiting in the bathroom and cringed.

About 15 minutes later she came out of the bathroom with her now washed outfit she had on Sunday. 'She is definitely going to need some clothes,' he thought to himself.

Tea surprisingly greeted him cheerily. Seto let out a breath of relief, at least she isn't still mad at him. She poured herself a cup of coffee and started talking to him, "Seto, do you remember that pouch my mother gave you?" He nodded and she continued, "Well, it had my money I was saving for dancing school and since there is no chance of that happening anymore, I think we should use it to buy that car you have been saving for. After all, I am going to need some way to get to the hospital when the time comes. Why don't you call today and ask him if he would drive it over for you to look at. If it is as good as they say it is then buy it."

Seto was speechless, after that big fight they had last night she still is trying to help him. "But what about your parent's. I assume you want them to have a funeral.

Tea looked disheartened by the question. She shook her head and replied, "I have no family to invite. It doesn't make sense to have a big meet and greet for them when no one except judgmental people from the church is going to attend."

Kaiba accepted her answer and asked, "So what are you going to do with them?"

"Well for my mother I wanted to get her cremated. She is half way there at this point anyway. With your permission, I would like to spread her ashes by the beautiful cherry blossom tree in the yard. That way she can watch over us and our child," she explained.

Kaiba smiled and thought, 'She said OUR child. That has to mean something.' "What about your father?"

Tea's eyes lit up with anger, "Donate his body to science or something. I don't care if they throw him in the garbage at this point. He killed my mother."

Kaiba looked surprised, but he knew better than to question her decision. She then remembered the real thing she wanted to tell him this morning, "Oh Seto, Mai and Serenity are coming by to pick me up. We are going to the mall to have a girl's day out."

"What about school?" Kaiba asked.

She answered, "People know my parents just died. They won't question it. Right now I just really need someone to talk to."

Kaiba replied, "I understand," And he really did. After Mokuba died, he didn't have any other males to talk to. Tea is great to talk to, but sometimes he just couldn't tell her things that he could tell another guy. He then reminded her, "Make sure you get yourself a school uniform and some clothes. As lovely as you look in that outfit, I am pretty sure you will want to change it every now and then."

Tea smiled and when she was finished with her food, she kissed him on the cheek, and went to grab a little money out her pouch. Kaiba blushed and watched her until she entered the bedroom.

After he finished breakfast, he called the man with the car he had his eyes on. It only had 4000 miles on it and was a reasonable price. The man agreed to bring it by and within a half an hour he checked the car close. Apparently, it belonged to his mother and now she was left unable to drive. She wanted to sell it and get enough money to pay for medical expenses.

Tea came out ready for Mai to pick her up and took a look at the car. She handed him the pouch and said, "If it is a good deal ask him to give you a ride to switch the car over into our name."

Mai pulled up and she gave him a kiss before she left. Serenity and Mai's eyes were as big as saucers. "I guess you do have some talking to do," Mai yelled at Tea. That was when she finally noticed Tea's baby bump, "Tea, are you pregnant?" Serenity squeaked in surprise.

Tea didn't answer but said, "I will tell you everything when we get to the mall."

She hopped in the back seat and as soon as she buckled her seatbelt, Mai took off.

She was driving slightly faster than she normally did because she was dying to know what was going on between Tea and Kaiba.

"I need to get new clothes, yall want to go check out the sale going on at JCP?" Tea asked.

Mai wanted to say absolutely not, not until she spilled the beans. But Serenity said, "Sounds like fun."

Mai rolled her eyes and followed them through the store. They searched the racks for cute things in their sizes and while they searched Mai asked, "So, what is going on between you and Kaiba?"

"We are a….well actually I don't know what we are at this point. He is so damn complicated. But we have been seeing each other for about almost a year now," Tea answered.

"Really," Mai pointed to Tea's stomach and asked , "When did this happen?"

Tea laughed and thought, 'Leave it to Mai to get straight to the point.' Tea picked up a shirt on the clearance rack and noticed it was a maternity shirt. She added it to her things to try on and said, "Well, as I told you, we have been seeing each other for quite some time now. After that day when Mokuba called to try to escape from Marik's grasp, I went home with Kaiba and accidentally fell asleep on him. I started to have a terrible nightmare. In the dream Seto was shot because he was trying to protect me from Marik. Kaiba woke me, and when I saw him I became overwhelmed. I kissed him and things got heated. He then carried me to the bedroom and I am sure you can put the rest together."

Mai shook her head and replied, "Oh no, I want all the juicy details!"

Tea blushed and said, "I just need your opinion. Yesterday, I had a huge fight with Seto because Yugi found out about me being pregnant. Yugi looked devastated. Seto decided to make matters worse by telling Yugi that he (Seto) is going to be a father. Yugi drove off without saying a word, leaving us stranded. Once we made it home, I chewed Seto out. One thing led to another and I told him if he wanted something further, he needs to put a ring on it. I figured that would be enough to make him leave me alone that night. Instead, he walked into his room and handed me a velvet box. This was inside."

She pulled out her ring to show them and they squealed, "You said yes?" they asked.

Tea laughed and replied, "Well no, I wanted to know the truth. I wanted to know if he wanted to marry me because he loved me or if he just didn't want to be left alone. So I asked him, 'Seto do you love me?'"

"What did he say?" Serenity asked.

"He didn't answer me," Tea explained, "He looked confused and just slipped the ring on my finger. He told me to think about it and slept on the couch that night."

They had completed their shopping at JCP and headed towards the food court. When they got their food, they sat at a table and Mai then realized, "Wait he proposed to you while yall were fighting." She busted out laughing because that was so like him to do something like that.

Tea smiled knowing what she was thinking and finally asked, "I want both of your opinions, what should I do. I don't even know if he really loves me and he asked me to marry him."

Serenity answered first, "Tea, you don't want to marry a guy like him. I mean look at him he is living on a farm. Obviously from the way it looks, you two are struggling. Besides look at him, I mean sure he is cute, but he can't even find the courage to tell you how he feels. How is he going to be able to protect you when he is nothing but a coward himself?"

Tea frowned and replied, "He is not a coward by any means. He has already protected both the baby and me from getting hurt. That is why when you saw him this morning he had bandages around his chest. He had broken two ribs trying to protect us."

It was Mai's turn to talk and she asked, "Tea, do you love him?"

A tear rolled down Tea's cheek and she whispered, "I do."

Mai smiled and handed her a tissue from her purse. Mai then said, "I disagree with you Serenity. If there is anything I know about Kaiba, it is that he doesn't do anything that he doesn't want to do. I also know that he values his family far above anything else. This is ring is not something he would give you if he wasn't serious. He loves you Tea. I think he is just afraid of rejection."

Tea smiled and said, "Thank you girls for coming out with me, I think I know what I am going to do."


	12. Chapter 12

**Seto is going to be the father. Thanks for all the comments!**

When Téa got back from the mall, she saw Seto struggling to carry a large hay bale to the barn. "Seto," she called out. Normally carrying that wouldn't have been an issue for him, but with his ribs the way they were, it was painful. He stopped and turned to her. She could see the pain in his eyes. She dropped her shopping bags and asked, "Didn't the doctor put you on bed rest?" She took the hay bale from him and said, "Get back to bed!" He let out a sigh, and grabbed her shopping bags to bring inside. When he made it into the bedroom he sat the clothing in front of the dresser and sat on the bed to wait for her.

A few minutes later, Téa stepped in and saw her bags. "Thank you Seto for carrying those in Seto, but you need to listen to your doctor and stay in bed. At least for a day or two more. I could tell you were in pain." She started to place the clothing inside of her dresser.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and said, "You don't need to worry about me so much."

"And you don't worry about yourself as much as you should," Téa replied, "The car looks nice by the way. Did you switch over the lease and all that stuff."

Kaiba nodded and replied, "Yes, everything is in order. How was your shopping trip?"

Téa beamed and answered, "It took a lot of weight off my shoulders and helped me decide a few things."

"Like what," Seto asked.

"Well, I have decided that the only way I can marry you, is if you can tell me you love me. I just can't marry you unless I know it is for the right reasons."

Kaiba let out an irritated sigh and said, "It is not a matter of I don't want to say it. I just can't." He looked at Téa and her face fell. Kaiba grasped her wrist and pulled her towards him. Kaiba then said, "I think it is time that I told you about my past.

He took a deep breath and continued, "When I was young my mother died giving birth to Mokuba and my father committed suicide shortly after. We were thrown from family member to family member until we were sent to the local orphanage. No one wanted us once the trust fund our parents set up was gone. Mokuba was all I had left and I had promised to always protect him. We played chess most of the time at the orphanage. The other kids would pick on him if he tried to play with them. Eventually, we met Gozaburo Kaiba. He was a famous chess player I saw on television. Rumor had it he never turned down a challenge. When he came to the orphanage I challenged him to a game of chess, the stakes being if I win, he would adopt us. When I won he took us in and that was when the abuse began. I was forced to study business for hours on end. If I fell asleep or became distracted, the consequence was physical. No matter how hard I tried to impress him, it was never enough. I was always punished and eventually began to distrust everyone. The only one I have ever loved besides my parents was my little brother. I have grown fond of you. I feel like I **could** love you, but Gozaburo messed with my mind so much, I just don't know what to think. I do care for you Téa."

Téa gave a half smile and said, "Well, how about this? Do you think we could have a lifelong happy marriage?"

Seto smiled and answered, "I do."

"Well then I would be honored to marry you Seto Kaiba," she replied.

He took the hand he was holding and gently kissed it, "You won't regret it."

She smiled and said "I know."

….

Téa called the game shop to let grandpa and Yugi know about the wedding. She doubted Yugi had forgiven her and silently prayed grandpa picked up the phone.

An older voice answered the phone, "Téa, How are you doing?"

She smiled and said, "I am doing wonderful grandpa. It is so good to hear your voice, I miss seeing you."

Grandpa frowned and replied, "It is great to hear from you too. I am so sorry Yugi hurt you while back. It was wrong, and I want to compensate you for the trouble he gave you. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"I have already forgiven Yugi…Seto, not so much… But, the reason I am calling you is, I am getting married on Saturday. I was hoping you would tell everyone that they are invited. It is the church down the block from our home."

Mr. Motou laughed and walked into the next room. Mr. Motou asked, "Why don't you ask them yourself?" He then turned the phone on speaker phone and said, "Say hi to Téa!"

"The group yelled, "Hi Téa!" Yugi threw his slice of pizza back in the box and sulked on the couch.

She giggled and said, "Hey everyone, I have an announcement to make."

"What is it?" Mai asked.

"I am getting married on Saturday and I would like you all to come," she announced.

"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED!" Joey screamed, "IT BETTER NOT BE TO KAIBA!"

Téa sighed and answered, "Yes, I am getting married to Seto."

"Congrats Téa," Tristan said sensibly, "But, why so soon. You two haven't been together that long."

Téa thought to herself, 'Great, Joey is going to kill me.' She took a deep breath and answered, "Well Tristan, I am going to have a baby and I would like to be married before it is completely obvious."

JOEY LOST IT, "YOU'RE PREGNANT! I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!"

Tristan pinned Joey down and Mai took the phone, "Is there anything in specific that you two want for a wedding present?"

Téa shook her head and replied, "We don't need anything in specific. However, if you guys would bring a few dishes for us to have a small reception at the house I would be grateful."

"Of course we can do that," Mai answered.

Joey tried to snatch the phone from her hand. But Tristan grabbed it before he could, "We will be there Téa. Don't worry about Joey, I will make sure he is civil."

Téa beamed with joy. "Great! I will see you then," she hung up the phone and breathed out a sigh of relief.

….

Marik had seen enough. This was the last straw. Marik had stolen an Egyptian spell book from the museum. He flipped through the pages until he found the spell he was looking for. Kaiba was going to get what was coming to him. Fore it was time to bring back the dead. All that was left was to gather the ingredients needed to bring him down.

….

That Saturday, Seto watched as cars pulled up to his home. Joey, Serenity, Tristan, and Mr. Motou came in one car together. To his surprise, Joey and Tristan pulled a few grocery bags out of the trunk and Serenity came out the car with a beautiful 3 tiered cake. The whole group pitched in to be able to give Téa a wedding cake.

Mai had already come earlier and sat a large tray of finger sandwiches and a large tray of cookies in the fridge. She then pulled Téa to the church insisting upon doing her hair and makeup. She knew about the surprise her friends were planning and wanted Téa to be completely oblivious.

Mai asked, "Téa, do you have the 'something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue?'"

Téa tried to shake her head but her hair was currently holding her head still, due to the curling iron Mai was using. She replied, "To be honest with you, I haven't even thought about it. I just have so many things going on in my mind right now," she started to giggle when she realized, "Seto and I didn't even pick out a best man or a maid of honor. Although, I am pretty sure you already know that would have been you… Since Mokuba is gone, I have no idea who Kaiba would have picked as his best man. I know it is killing him that his brother isn't here to see him get married."

Mai smiled softly and said, "Try not to think of those things. You are supposed to be happy on your wedding day. But, we have to get you those 4 tokens for good luck."

Mai looked her over and asked, "Do you have something old?"

She played with her wedding ring and was about to speak when grandpa came in and asked, "Do I count?"

"Grandpa!" she screamed with joy. "I am so glad you came," she told him as she gave him a hug.

"You look beautiful Téa," he said.

Serenity came in after grandpa and said, "She sure does look pretty!" Téa hugged Serenity as well and turned back to Mai.

"My wedding ring once belonged to Seto's mother. I think that would satisfy that token." Téa answered with a smile.

"Okay, how about something new?" Mai asked.

Téa rubbed her belly, thinking about her unborn child, and replied, "I think that spot has been filled."

The whole room started to laugh. Serenity pulled out her jeweled hair clip and said, "I have something you can borrow."

Mai took the pin and squealed, "Perfect." She pulled Téa's hair half up and said, "Téa, grab my purse. I have your something blue in it."

Téa grabbed the purse off the chair beside her and saw a small box gift wrapped. "Is this it she asked?"

Mai nodded and gave a cheeky smile. It is more of a present for Kaiba, I assure you.

Téa turned red and thought, "Oh god, what did she get me?"

She ripped the paper off the box and saw a baby blue garter. She smiled and said, "Thank god, with the demented look you gave me, I thought you bought me lingerie or something."

Mai chuckled and said, "Oh if you like that, you will love your real wedding present."

A look of pure terror crossed Téa's face from Mai's comment. Tristan came in and said, "The priest is here and everything is set up if yall are ready."

Téa nodded and asked, "Mr. Motou, neither Seto nor I have any family members to walk me down the aisle. Would you do me the honor of escorting me?"

Mr. Motou extended his hand to her in acceptance and waited for the others to enter the church. When the music started he walked her through a pair of closed doors.

….

Seto stood at the end of the alter waiting. He had been half surprised that he didn't burst into flames the minute he entered into the church. He looked around the room and saw that the church had white walls with red carpet. Wooden pews were set up on both sides of the aisle and lead to a round stained glass window he was standing in front of.

Joey was standing in the back setting up a video camera. He didn't really want to be there, but Mai and Serenity had threatened him and used his compliance to assign him a job. Serenity was sitting by the piano standing by to play the wedding march. Kaiba's neighbor was standing next to him, serving as a last minute decision for a best man. Dr. Brown was sitting with his son in the second row of the pew. Suddenly the rest of the group filed into the room and Serenity started to play.

As soon as Kaiba looked up, the door opened. Téa was wearing a white eyelet halter sundress. The dress flowed down to her knees. She held a small bouquet of sunflowers the neighbor had given her in her hands. She chose not to wear a veil, per Seto's request, he wanted to see her face. He wanted to be certain that she was happy to be marrying him.

As he had hoped, her face seemed to glow with joy. She walked down the aisle with more confidence in a few seconds, than he had his entire life. Seeing her so happy finally gave him enough trust to say, "I love you," when their hands met.

Téa was so overwhelmed with emotion, she threw her arms around him and kissed him feverishly.

The preacher laughed and said, "I think you skipped a part."

Téa turned red and her friends began to laugh.

…

After they exchanged their vow, they came home with their friends. Seto carried Téa over the threshold and almost dropped her, when he saw what was inside. Yugi was standing by the stove. There was a pot on the stove that he was frying chicken in. A plate full of chicken sat on the counter next to the stove. "Congratulations Téa and Kaiba," he said halfheartedly.

Kaiba placed Téa down and despite wanting to clobber the man in front of him, he stayed quiet and let Téa do what she had to, in order to make peace.

Téa approached him nervously and gave him a hug. "I am glad you came," she whispered, "Can we try to be friends again?" Yugi nodded and apologized, "I am sorry for not attending the wedding Téa. I just couldn't bare seeing you get married. But I knew that I would never forgive myself if I wasn't there for you at all on your special day." Seto walked up next to her and pulled her away, claiming that Dr. Brown wanted to talk to her. In truth, he just wanted to get her away from Yugi.

While she was talking to Dr. Brown, Kaiba approached Yugi and asked, "What are you doing here Yugi? Téa and I are married now. The game is over and it is time for you to move on. Do you really intend on being the type of guy who tries to break up a family?"

Yugi smirked and replied, "The game huh… If I didn't know any better, I would think that you still feel threatened by me. Why else would you be so desperate to get me to leave? The game has just started Kaiba and you know it."

Kaiba glared at Yugi, he would never admit it, but he did still feel that Yugi was competition. He retorted, "Actually, I am more concerned that if you even try to steal Téa away from me, you will end up getting your heart chewed up, spit out, and fed to a dog."

Yugi chuckled impishly and replied, "Well, it is a good thing that I just came here to fry chicken for Téa's reception. Besides, I doubt it will be very long before I can look forward to seeing her divorce your ass. Considered yourself warned Kaiba."

Kaiba's face turned red and was about to attack Yugi when he heard Téa yell, "Seto, come see what Joey and Tristan made us!"

Kaiba shot Yugi a death glare and followed Téa outside. When he stopped behind her, he saw a solid wood crib for the child. He looked it over and had to admit, he was impressed. Besides being beautiful, they seem to take safety measures into consideration. "It looks like we finally found something you're good at mutt," Kaiba said with his arms crossed.

Joey scratched his head in a confused manner. He wasn't sure if Kaiba was insulting him or complimenting him.

Mai and Serenity then brought the couple inside to open a few more gifts. Grandpa gave them a microwave. He remembered hearing Téa talk to the boys about Kaiba's cooking skills. "Téa beamed when she saw the microwave. Finally, they could do something with the several TV dinners in the freezer.

Mai then handed Téa the present from her. A pair of handcuffs were dangling off the handle of the bag. Téa bit her lip to prepare herself. She pulled the present out the bag and read the box, "For your stimulation and pleasure."

Téa was now as red as a cherry as she looked at the stick like object pictured on the box. Kaiba looked slightly indifferent about the gift but he too, was fighting to keep his face blank.

Joey then started to laugh hysterically and said, "Mai, you should have bought this sooner. Maybe Téa wouldn't be in this situation if she had one of these."

With exception of Seto and Tea, the house had an uproar of laughter.

…

After the party was over with, Téa and Seto worked together to pick up the house. Téa saw the mailman pass and went outside to retrieve the mail.

Behind several bills, Téa found a letter in their mail box. It was addressed to Seto. She handed it to him and he read the letter.

It was from Bruce Weinstein, his company used to be a competitor with Kaiba Corp, and the letter invited him and a guest to attend the company's Christmas Eve party. The letter explained that a job position had opened up and Mr. Weinstein wanted to discuss the job opportunity with Kaiba.

"So what do you think Seto?" Téa asked, "Do you want to try for the job."

Kaiba scoffed, "Believe me, I know Mr. Weinstein. Besides Gozaburo, he is one of the most ruthless people I have ever had the displeasure to meet. This is likely a ploy to humiliate me."

"Seto, how can he embarrass you? It is just a job interview. Do you really think someone would go through all that trouble just to hurt you?"

"Yes. I am not going." Seto clarified.

Téa argued, "But Seto, if it is not a "trick," which I doubt it is, then you could be passing up a job that would be easier on you physically and that would make us more financially sound. With the baby on the way, things are going to get a lot harder for the both of us."

Kaiba knew Téa had valid points, but he also knew how Weinstein thought. He pulled off his suit and hung it in the closet. Despite this day not being the expected wedding for a man who used to be a billionaire. He still wanted to make this day special for Téa and arguing was not going to do it.

He smirked and asked, "Now, how about we try out those handcuffs?"

Téa started to laugh and replied, "Stop trying to change the conversation. You have 2 broken ribs and you know as well as I do that you shouldn't be doing that."

Kaiba frowned and said, "Fine, we will go but you will need to borrow a formal dress from one of your friends."

He rubbed his ribcage and flinched when he hit a tender spot. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Téa was right. He then said, "By the way, when you were shopping, did you happen to see anything you liked for a nursery?"

Téa nodded and replied, "Yes they had a cute sailor themed nursery set for a boy and an adorable kitten theme for a girl."

Seto then said "Well, Dr. Brown called me up and told me that his sister is a gynecologist/obstetrician, she will be assisting him when the baby is born and she wants to know if you want an ultrasound. She owns her own practice and she can give you one now and one closer to when the child is born. It would make things a lot easier to buy for a nursery if we knew the child's gender."

"I would love that Seto! When can she do it," she asked excitedly.

Seto replied, "Any time after January first. Have you picked out any names yet?"

Téa suddenly looked worried, "About that, I had an idea for a boy name, but I don't know how you would feel about it?"

"What is it?" Seto asked, unsure of what name could possibly make her nervous.

"Well, I was wondering if you would want to name him Mokuba?" Téa explained.

Kaiba looked deep in thought. Though it might be painful at first he knew Mokuba would have loved the idea. He nodded and replied, "I think he would have liked that."

She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before saying, "Goodnight Seto!"


	13. Chapter 13

Marik stood in a mausoleum staring at the remnants of a man. The man's name was Gozaburo Kaiba. He was a ruthless business man and the adoptive father of Seto and Mokuba. Marik smiled because this was the only man that could make Seto Kaiba cower in fear. The physical and mental abuse Gozaburo inflicted Seto as a child, still haunted his dreams today.

Marik opened the book and read the components required to make the spell successful. He checked off a list in his head:

Dead body – check

Black Salt – check

Palm leaves- check

Blood of the dead…

By now Gozaburo was completely turned to bone and ash. His only son died years before. How was he supposed to get Gozaburo's blood if there were no living relatives?

He paced back and forth in the mausoleum when one of his faithful servants said, "Sir, if we can't use a spell to bring back the dead. Is there a way we could make a copy of him?"

Marik's eyes lit up and he replied, "No, but you gave me an idea."

He exited the Mausoleum and went back to the hideout.

…

Téa sat on Mai's bed, while Mai looked through her closet for a dress that might fit Téa for the Christmas party. Mai finally found the dress she was looking for and handed it to Tea. It was a Pink lace strapless gown that was tight around the chest area, but flowed loosely down the body.

Téa liked it and decided to try it on, but asked, "Mai, that doesn't look like something you would normally wear. I thought you hated pink."

Mai let out a sigh and replied, "I do hate pink, but I didn't always. I used to wear pink all the time because my boyfriend, Michael, said that I looked beautiful in it. This dress was the dress I wore when we broke up. As it turns out, he was cheating on me and telling that girl all the same lies he was telling me."

Téa cringed slightly and said, "I am sorry."

Mai shook her head and replied, "It's no big deal, you didn't know. Besides, it looks like it was made for you. Take a look."

Téa looked in the mirror and smiled, the dress completely hid her baby bump and she looked elegant. She couldn't wait to see Seto's reaction in the dress. She twirled and watched as it spun with her.

Mai smiled and said, "I think that dress is dying for shoes."

She pulled out a pair from her closet and Téa looked at them and laughed. "Mai," she said, "Jesus Christ Mai, I am going to need a walker to be able to go anywhere in those shoes. The heels are ridiculously high." Mai looked at the heels and thought maybe a pair of flats would be better. She then pulled out a pair of simple silver flats. Téa nodded in approval and said, "That's much better. For me and the baby."

…

The Day of the Christmas Party was finally here. Seto stood in front the mirror staring at his reflection. He was no longer used to seeing himself in his business attire and it seemed foreign to him. He was also questioning himself, 'What if this is just a trick? Will I disappoint Téa if I don't get this job? Will I be able to support my family?'

Téa entered the bathroom and asked, "Are you ready Seto?"

He nodded and looked her over. She looked beautiful. Something deep inside of him had overwhelmed him and he approached her. He knelt down before her and kissed her barely noticeable baby bump. He then pulled her closer and rested his head gently on her stomach.

Téa looked down in surprise at his reaction. Once the initial shock was over, she had to smile. He was going to be an amazing father. She brushed her hand through his hair and whispered, "You are going to do fine Seto."

Seto stood up and briefly kissed her lips before they made their way towards the car.

….

Marik laughed as he looked at himself in the mirror. The spell worked…he was the spitting image of Gozaburo Kaiba. Even Marik's voice changed to match the dead man.

He walked towards the room where Mokuba was being held and greated, "Hello Mokuba!"

Mokuba looked on in terror. What was Seto going to do, if fGozaburo is still alive? "Please, do what you want to me. But, leave my brother alone," he begged

Marik beamed, the spell was working. If this was enough to trick the younger Kaiba, then taking out the older one will be a piece of cake. Gozaburo replied, "Don't worry Mokuba, I am just going to help Seto remember what real fear is like."

…

When they arrived at the party, Seto watched her expression, as she exited their car and couldn't help but be amused by it. Téa had never seen a party like the one that was being held her. She saw the people waltzing inside in luxurious dresses. Men were dressed to the nines in their best suits. It looked like something out of a fairytale.

A man approached Seto and greeted him, "Hello Mr. Kaiba, I am glad to see you were able to make it." The man reached his hand out to shake hands with Seto. He then turned to Téa and asked, "Who might this lovely young lady be?" The man walked forward and surprised Téa by kissing her hand. Seto's eyes flashed in anger, but quickly returned to a blank state. He had to control himself, if he wanted this job.

He smirked slightly when he saw Téa discreetly wipe the back of her hand on her dress. Seto wrapped an arm around her waist and replied, "Mr. Weinstein, this is my wife, Téa."

Téa smiled and said, "Seto is looking forward to possibly working with you."

Mr. Weinstein smirked and replied, "Indeed." He then continued, "I am surprised by you Kaiba. I didn't take you for a family man. I am even more shocked she stayed after you lost your company." He smirked knowing he struck a nerve and said, "She must really love you to stick around after such an embarrassing failure."

Kaiba knew Mr. Weinstein was trying to make him snap, but he couldn't let that happen. He simply replied, "Actually, we just got married a few days ago." He looked down at Téa who suddenly looked uneasy. He knew that she could feel the tension in the air.

Mr. Weinstein replied, "Newlyweds? Oh so she knew about your inadequacies and still decided to marry you…or is it she doesn't know about your catastrophic downfall as a business man."

Kaiba was getting angry he opened his mouth to say something when Téa answered, "I know about his company going down, but I didn't marry him for money nor did I marry him for fame. I married him because I love him and I am ready to start a family with him. Seto is a brilliant man and he can do wonders for your company if you let him. I have no doubt that Seto will succeed in any future he chooses."

Weinstein snorted and said, "Congratulations… Excuse me, we can talk about the job position shortly. But for now, I must go." He was going to say more when a man approached him and ushered him to the stage.

…

Gozaburo (Marik) stood on the balcony watching the whole scene. "Perfect," he whispered to himself. He slowly snuck in and planned to make a few discreet appearances at tonight's party.

…

Téa looked over to Seto who looked an interesting mixture of angry and nervous. She smiled at him and straightened his bow tie. "Don't worry about it Seto. If you get the job great! If not we will manage."

He nodded and was about to talk back when he thought he saw someone by the balcony. He turned his head quickly to look and saw nothing. He shook his head to clear the thought from his head and thought to himself, 'I am just imagining things.' He then realized that Téa was looking at him funny and asked, "Would you like something to drink?"

Téa smiled and answered, "Just water please."

He escorted Tea to a table and walked over to the bar. "One scotch and one glass of water," He ordered. He turned his head again and saw the man again walking through the crowd. It sure looked like him, but he couldn't get a good enough look at his face. His eyes narrowed, 'It can't be him', he thought, 'He is dead.'

He carried the drinks and sat next to Téa. Despite wanting to drink, after what he thought he saw, his mind was telling him he needed to stay alert so he ended up just holding his scotch. He looked over to Téa and noticed she seemed unhappy about something. He nudged her to acknowledge that he noticed and she mentioned, "Seto, we didn't have a first dance at our wedding."

Seto took the hint and extended his hand to her. He escorted her to the dance floor and placed his arm on her lower back. Seto couldn't help but smile as he saw Téa's face light up as she danced. She truly was a natural.

Unknown to them both, Mr. Weinstein had his eyes on them. He couldn't understand how a girl as beautiful as Téa could marry a man like Kaiba. Especially, since he didn't have a penny to his name. Something about that made him want her. Kaiba didn't deserve a girl like her.

As the dance ended, Téa sent Seto to get another glass of water while she went to the ladies room. Tea walked down the hall and entered the room a waitress said was the restroom. There were several empty stalls and she was grateful to be alone.

She pulled out her lipstick and started to reapply it. With the exception of Mr. Weinstein's rude remarks towards Seto, she was enjoying herself at the party. But, she felt overwhelmed by the amount of people attending. She heard the door to the bathroom open. It didn't bother her, until she turned around and saw Mr. Weinstein standing there

She backed away and fearfully said, "S..sir this is th…the ladies r…room."

He sneered, "I know. But, I have a proposition for you." She backed further away and he continued, "If you sleep with me, I will give that pathetic husband of yours a job."

Téa shook her head, "No. I won't do that, now get out of here!" She was now backed into a corner, praying for a miracle.

"Not a chance," he said as he slammed his lips onto hers.

…

After his dance with Téa, he finally felt relaxed enough to drink his scotch. He sat down with both drinks and looked in the direction Téa had gone. That was when he noticed that strange man walk down the hall Téa had went a few minutes ago. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. He put down their drinks and walked towards the hallway.

When he turned in the hallway, he didn't see anyone. There was a fire place down the center and a door on both sides. Kaiba knocked on the first door and called out, "Téa?"

…

Mr. Weinstein pushed Téa and she caught herself on the sink. Her dress ripped on top as she fell. All she could think was she had to protect her baby. Her eyes lit up when she heard Seto call out for her. Mr. Weinstein heard him as well and covered her mouth with his hand. She bit his hand and screamed "SETO, HELP!"

Weinstein groaned, "You're going to regret that bitch," he said as he smacked her across her face.

…

Seto's eyes widened, when he heard her call for help. 'What if that was Gozaburo he saw,' he thought to himself. He grabbed an iron fire poker from the fireplace to use as a weapon. The door flew open so hard, it practically pulled it off the hinges.

He saw Mr. Weinstein pinning Téa to the floor. "Get your hands off my wife!" he growled as he stepped closer with his makeshift weapon.

Spots started to cloud his vision as his anxiety seemed to build. 'Don't you dare pass out!' he silently commanded his body. He pushed the point against Weinstein's neck and said, "Don't make me repeat myself."

Weinstein stood up and said, "Fine, take her. I have a 13 billion dollar company. I could have any woman I want. What do you have at the end of the day Mr. Kaiba?"

"I have what I need," he answered. He then helped Téa to her feet and asked, "Are you alright?" He looked her over and she was shaking slightly but she nodded. The next words seemed to give Weinstein a jolt. "What about the baby?" Kaiba asked.

"Baby?" Weinstein asked.

Kaiba ignored Weinstein and Téa replied, "We're fine Seto. Please control your temper and don't cause trouble tonight? I don't think I could take anymore. Can we please just go?"

Kaiba nodded and turned to Weinstein, "Like I said, I have what I need at the end of the day."

Kaiba took his coat off and handed it to her to cover her now ripped dress and walked her to the car.

…

The entire ride home, Téa didn't speak a word, which was unusual for her. Kaiba was wondering if she was mad at him. When they reached the house, Kaiba went around the car to help her out. That was when he realized why she was so quiet in the car; she was crying. Téa whispered, "I am so sorry Seto." A tear rolled down her cheek and she looked down in shame.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" he asked with a look of unease.

"If I wouldn't have made you go to that party, you wouldn't have had to get bullied by that man Weinstein. You wouldn't have had to save me again. So far I have brought nothing but misery to your life. I…I'm so sorry." She started to shake as she cried into his shoulder.

"Téa, you have brought many things in my life, but misery isn't one of them. After my brother's death, you gave me something to live for. Being with you has brought me more happiness than I ever thought I could have. I look forward to the day we meet our child and truly become a family. You didn't do this Téa, I did it. And I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant I would spend the rest of my life with you." Kaiba explained wholeheartedly.

She cried for a few more minutes until she whispered, "Let's go to bed." Kaiba followed her in their home feeling like he had made an even deeper connection than he already had with his wife.

…

Seto woke up the next morning and quietly crawled out the bed. It was Christmas Day and he wanted to get all the chores done and animals fed before she woke up. He may not have been able to give her something fancy for Christmas, but he would be damned if he was going to make her work today.

Once the animals were fed, he walked over to the tool shed and pulled out an axe. "Seto, what are you doing?" a voice came from behind him.

Seto turned around and found Téa standing there. "I was going to try to get you a tree."

Téa smiled at his thoughtfulness and replied, "As much as I appreciate it Seto, you shouldn't be lifting anything heavy. How about we pull on some warm clothes and decorate one out here?"

"That would work," Kaiba said as he put back the axe.

"Seto, what are we going to decorate it with?" Téa asked curiously.

She saw Seto smile slightly and reply, "Go get warm. You will see soon enough."

Téa walked back to their home feeling excited. She walked to the bedroom and pulled on the warmest clothing she could find. Suddenly, she heard something fall. "SETO!"she called out fearfully.

"I'm fine," he yelled back, "I'm in the attic. I will be right down."

She walked towards the living room and saw Kaiba climbing down with a box marked X-mas. She smiled as he sat the box on the sofa between them. She opened up the box to find several beautiful glass ornaments. She lifts one up and said, "Seto these are beautiful."

"My mother made them", he explained, "Christmas was her favorite holiday and every Christmas she made an ornament for us." He dug through the box and found an ornament shaped like ballet slippers, "She gave me this one Christmas one year and I looked at her completely confused. I mean why would she give me something so girly? Now I think she made it for me because it was meant for you."

He handed Téa the ornament and she looked close to tears. They continued to dig through the box and Téa was thrilled to find an ornament with a childhood picture of Seto on it. He was sitting on a red tricycle with a huge grin on his face.

*Ding Dong*

The doorbell rang, and Téa sat her ornament back in the box. Kaiba continued to dig through the box as she answered the door. He figured it was one of her dorky friends making an appearance.

"Excuse me Sir. Can I help you with something?" she asked.

'That doesn't sound like one of her friend's she's talking to. Maybe it is a salesman.' Kaiba thought, still not showing any interest in whoever was at the door.

The man outside the door grinned wickedly and said, "Yes, I am looking for my son Seto Kaiba."

'That voice…It can't be…' Seto turned his head and saw Gozaburo (Marik) standing before Téa. Seto immediately got up and pulled Téa away from the door. He stood in front of her and screamed, "Whatever you want, take it. Just leave my family alone." 

"Tsk Tsk Tsk," Gozaburo scolded, "I merely wanted to give you a Christmas gift." He signaled to a rare hunter, who was dressed as a chauffer, to pop the trunk. When the trunk had come up. The man reached in and threw Mokuba at Seto's feet. Mokuba rushed to his side and was relieved to find he was unconscious but still breathing.

He looked up at Gozaburo and Gozaburo said, "My gift to you is this one happy day. A day with your whole family. Make it count, because after this I will do everything in my power to take you down."

Gozaburo turned around and walked to his car. Once he got in, his driver sped off into the distance.

When Gozaburo left, Kaiba collapsed to the ground and struggled to hold onto his sanity. He wasn't sure if he was relieved that Mokuba home, or terrified because Gozaburo was alive."

While trying to get a grip on reality, a tear slid from Seto's eye onto Mokuba's face.

Mokuba groaned, "Oh my head." Mokuba gasped when he saw his older brother kneeling before him. Mokuba immediately threw himself onto his older brother and started to cry, "Seto, I missed you so much!"

Téa walked over to Seto and ran her hand through his hair, to get his attention. Seto stood up and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Mokuba, I would like to introduce you to my wife."

Mokuba beamed and replied, "I missed you too Téa. Thank you for taking care of my brother while I was gone. You and your child gave him something to live for."

Téa and Seto were surprised that he knew about the child. Téa did have a slight baby bump, but it wasn't that obvious yet. "How did you know?" Tea asked.

Mokuba gasped and realized, "Seto, there are cameras set up all inside and outside the house. Marik has been able to watch you day and night since the day I was adopted."

Mokuba then went searching frantically for the cameras. When he found the first one he held it up for his brother to see.

Téa's eyes became wide as she thought, 'All of our intimate moments Seto and I shared, were seen by voyeur eyes.'

Kaiba was thinking similar to Téa as he started to search the house for the tiny hidden cameras. Téa started to feel weak, so she sat at the kitchen table. Seto noticed this and stopped. He saw her grabbing at her head and figured she was hungry. He threw two waffles in the microwave grandpa Motou gave them at the wedding. He then started to search the kitchen while they heated.

When the sound went off, he pulled the waffles out the microwave and sighed as he realized they were slightly burnt. Regardless, he handed the plate to Téa. She pushed the plate away and laid her head on the table. Kaiba sensed there was something wrong and asked, "Morning Sickness?"

She was going to shake her head when another thought hit her, 'Who was the child they buried?' The thought of his beheaded body caused her to lurch. Seto saw her heave and pushed the kitchen garbage can over to her right on time.

When she finished she asked, "Seto, Who did we bury?"


End file.
